Old Habits Die Hard
by Summer.ice7
Summary: The Shinobi Age is long gone, but due to forces outside his control, one Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto is still alive and kicking. But when one lives forever, wielding enough power to wipe a country off the map, boredom is a dangerous thing. After centuries of wandering alone, the Vongola and Mafia become the new victims of one blond shinobi. BAMF-Gray!Naruto; realistic as possible
1. Chapter 1

**OH NOES. I HAVE STARTED ANOTHER FIC. IT'S TERRIBLE I TELL YOU. IT'S ALSO PARTIAL CRACK.**

**Oh well. Hope you enjoy this latest plotbunny that I've come up with, because THEY'RE SPAWNING. Either way, you're here for the story so I'll stop spazzing now. Also, if anyone finds a suitable cover for this, please PM me; the lake is pretty but not really appropriate.**

**Disclaimer- If I owned these mangas, I'd be rich and Naruto would be a BAMF like he is here.**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Prologue

Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto didn't look a day over twenty-five.

Not to say that he wasn't, oh he was, but the sheer absurdity of that statement made the blond want to giggle insanely.

Because Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, formerly and presently known through many names like 'Demon Spawn', 'Dobe', 'Legacy of the Yondaime', 'Future Hokage of Konohagakure', 'The Number One Most Unpredictable Knucklehead Ninja', 'Reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths' and even as 'That Blond Fucker' in some cases, had long stopped counting his age. Though he knew he had to be considered ancient.

Even so, the blond had remained the same, yet changed in that famous, or rather infamous unpredictable fashion of his.

Some things that stayed the same were his love for ramen, the colour orange and the long gone Konoha and his friends. Not to mention his deep yet impossibly bright blue eyes with similarly spiky, bright blond hair and his original charismatic personality.

But other parts of the ninja, the shinobi, had changed. When once he would've spammed flashy chakra-wasting justu, he rounded out his skills. Now, his repertoire had expanded to include sealing, trap-making, old school stealth and assassination, several dozen other taijutsu styles and numerous more jutsu of all sorts and skills in using multiple weapons.

Before, he would've goaded an opponent into fighting before charging in recklessly with no plan himself. But with time came experience and he learned the hard way that obstacles couldn't always be dealt with by going at it until the enemy was worn down and taken out. Instead, over the course of his long life, he'd taken to using his head as well, tactics and strategies lying dormant inside his now quite knowledgeable brain. And when the situation called for it, he was every bit the cold, calculating shinobi that stories painted his profession to be.

There were others, but there were two that remained at the top of the list.

One; he was the Guardian of the Tailed Beasts in this new era where humans were just as dangerous as during his time with the help of technology. Also, being the lone surviving shinobi with chakra, that painted a huge target on his back for those who'd notice his abilities, and not in a good way.

That also tied in with the second; while playing Guardian, he was still mostly the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki through maintaining a link with Kurama. Adding him being the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, not to mention the lone Sage of all the Summoning Creatures of the other plane, his lifespan had been extended. By a lot.

Naruto couldn't quite imagine the Shinigami being very happy with him. But that was beside the point.

Either way, over the period of his existence, the blond had seen nearly every side of life that there was, and still strived somewhere deep within for peace. During wartime, he tried to reduce the damage as must as he could through a variety of methods;, gathering influence under another identity to stop it, protecting the people through open combat, and if it came to it-killing all involved.

But even so, it seemed that he'd always return to his original calling as a shinobi, an elite assassin and warrior entrenched in shadows. Of course, he still had his limits; the blond absolutely refused any sort of job that harmed children or women, drug-weaponry smuggling, human trafficking, and only killed those that were the lowest of scum. However little remained of them, he still stayed true to his morals.

So, a while after the Opium War, he'd drifted towards the Underworld, establishing an accomplished and loyal spy network that had operations and members all over the world. From there, he learned about the mafia and further organized crime.

It called to him.

Not necessarily the crime part, but there was a tugging in his gut that screamed at him that something big was going to go down in the future, and the mafia was at the heart of it. He hadn't felt anything like this since the first signs of the Mongol's rise to power across Europe and Asia began showing up all those years ago.

The feeling having saved his sorry ass many a time, he listened to it and quickly spread his name and reputation as a free-lancer and bounty hunter along with spy-master; a rare combination.

.

.

Hokage, or Fire Shadow as he came to be known as in the Underworld, had a lot of influence for a free-lancing bounty hunter slash spy-master with no known affiliations to any Family or organization, or really anything or anyone. He seemed to know everything and everyone, did the right thing at the right time in the right place, seemed to have the Devil's Luck and a perfect record of missions which ranged from assassination to finding missing people, retrieving stolen items or stealing them. More than one war between Families had been averted thanks to his information network, not to mention his interferences during wars protecting the people as well, only added to his legendary reputation of a mysterious man with no background that surfaced and took the Underworld by storm.

And it wasn't simply the Underworld that knew him; the surface world did too, though not always as Fire Shadow. Most of the time, it was the business world and INTERPOL that spoke of his name. The former knew him of the ghost who appeared and disappeared without warning, taking out corrupted business tycoons and the latter for his walking of the line of black, white, and gray.

Naruto had laughed when he heard this information; to think that lifetimes ago he'd been the annoying brat in orange who screamed at everyone that he would become Hokage. He thought that his old master would've been proud of him becoming a spy-master.

It was then a few years into this latest 'gig' of his that he began getting involved with the affairs of the Vongola.

* * *

**So, opinions? Tell me via reviews and whether I should continue this. (I probably will anyways.)**

**I'm also looking for people to discuss my ideas, and to beta my (future) stories. **

**7**


	2. Chapter 2

**WHAT...WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?**

**24 hours and I check my account and email to find 3 reviews, 14 favourites, 19 follows, 266 hits along with several more author favourites and follows?**

**Thanks go to Zacc, winter time tea, whatisee, VarsityKen, Slifer1988, skeith89, random fanfic reader, nekoken14, Luna Astrum, Logan Grand, kyuuo, kyunaru, FlyingArtist, Flaminglord99, DM2012, Bloodseeker13, blakraven66, anubas, Aeon master of time and space, sparton2, shiroi no ryusennin, Shinigami-Chan17, Seithr-Kairy, pointblank135, NarutoHarem123, hanipman, deeb0123456789, and blackraven623. **

**That's awesome people. After a discussion with VarsityKen, this has been expanded into a proper fanfic, instead of a series of simple interconnected one-shots. Go thank that wonderful wonderful person. **

**Either way, this is the next chapter of Old Habits Die Hard. Enjoy.**

**Standard Disclaimer- Neither Naruto nor KHR belong to me, because otherwise, I'd be trolling 'Tobi' so very badly at the moment.**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter One

His first meeting with the Vongola had been with the 'Strongest Hitman in the World'.

While many, if they'd been him, would've been mighty insulted by the claim- what with his ridiculous arsenal of jutsu, weaponry, skill, experience, chakra reserves, various levels of bad-assery, and connection to the Bijuu- Naruto was actually quite amused.

They'd met on a hit of a corrupted business man whose name had been forgotten in the moment, bodies in various bloodied states littered around them as they faced off like in those Old-West movies.

He'd been dressed in a coat similar to that of his father's, except dark red with black flames and the words 'Fire Shadow' printed on the back in kanji. A black long sleeve was under that, a metal spiral necklace; his clan's symbol- lying overtop replacing the destroyed Shodaime's Necklace. Burnt orange trimmed, black cargo pants were wrapped in white bandages and tucked into black combat boots, and with a worn but obviously cared for headband tied to his head completing the look. Had anyone from Konoha been alive at the moment, they would've commented on how much the man looked like the Yondaime.

The man standing across from him had been dressed in a sharp, black suit- evidently Armani or some other expensive brand- with a long-sleeved yellow polo and tie underneath, and polished black leather shoes. A yellow ribbon circling a black fedora topped the head of the man who just radiated _dangerous!_ with dark, narrowed eyes that missed nothing, spiky black hair with two curly side-burns framing his face and a green CZ-75 in hand.

Both men stared each other down, silence palpable and tension rising with each second that passed between them until Naruto spoke, tones carefully neutral, revealing nothing. "So, you're the 'Strongest Hitman in the World' hmm?"

There'd been no reply, because the blond didn't give the chance for it as he stated with a completely straight face and hand out for a shake, "It's good to meet you."

To the Strongest Hitman in the World's credit, a raised eyebrow had been the other's only reaction as a baritone voice answered him, "The infamous Fire Shadow. You're most certainly different as they say."

Further destroying the tense atmosphere, Naruto grinned lazily and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, hands in pockets, "Aww, you flatter me so."

Had it been any other, they most certainly would've missed the tiniest quirk of the lips on the other man, but having worked and grown up with people just like him, the blond's grin only widened. "Not quite. I'm merely stating facts that are well known to any half-competent Mafioso."

"Still, it's quite a thing to hear from someone of your stature, Mr. Best in the World."

Canines flashed and Naruto fell back with a muted gurgle, blood spewing from his mouth. The other's eyes followed the body's every motion as it landed on the ground with a dull thud, coat flaring outwards.

Sighing, the hitman dispersed the lingering smoke with a snap of his weapon. "That was a shame. They never said that the Fire Shadow was so…weak. To think that Nono had wanted to ally with him."

"Aww, really? I didn't know Nono thought that much of me!"

Narrowed eyes flickered to the source of the voice, their minute surprise being discarded milliseconds after it appeared as they met dancing cerulean blue.

Their wills clashed again, and this time the hitman spoke first, feeling something within the depths of the other that warned him of _danger, do not provoke!_ But he damn well lived for danger, and so smirked, greeting the other properly. "Chaos."

A shift of eyes to the 'dead' body showed that with a poof of smoke, a perfectly cut log had taken its place, with a piece of paper taped to it. On it, were the words 'LOGGED' scribbled in black marker.

Naruto merely smiled at the faint questioning look in the other's eyes. "Trade secret. Can't go spreading those around now can I?"

"I suppose so." The other brought the brim of his fedora over his eyes as he reached out to probe the other's mind, recoiling just a bit when he was rebuffed harshly; image of a roaring fox imprinting itself in his mind.

"Oh, yeah, you don't want to do that. My mind isn't exactly a fun place to go looking through," the blond commented off-handedly, as if he were discussing the weather. "Last guy who tried went insane, screaming about sunsets and spandex and the sheer wrongness of two guys hugging. You may draw your own conclusions."

The guy must've not fully experienced the dark side of life, since there was the tiniest look of trama in those dark eyes, which had the Fire Shadow crack an amused smirk.

Some unheard signal jolted the spy-master out of his reverie and he sighed before smirking once more at the hitman, "Oh, and tell Timoteo if he wants to ally or any of that crap he better get off his ass and do it himself. I'm sure he'd appreciate the opportunity to get away from the paperwork, and some exercise and sunshine."

With a last foxy grin and a mock salute, the blond was gone, leaving the hitman to stare at the man's last resting spot.

"_Ciao, Signore Renato."_

_._

_._

Later, blue eyes would laugh with mirth as they watched the Ninth Boss of the Vongola smile in that grandfatherly slash understanding fashion at the hitman- Renato- as he reported in from the hit.

"So I see you've met the Fire Shadow."

Sharp eyes glinting under the natural light from outside looked up from under the fedora as their owner noted how Nono referred to the other with a healthy amount of respect.

"Yes, I have. He told me to pass on a message."

After hearing the message, Nono laughed. "That's just like him."

Thus the hitman's interest was piqued.

* * *

**Yes, because according to my unoriginal head!canon, Reborn's real name is Renato *somethingblanklastname*. Shoot me.**

**...Don't. You won't get anymore chapters then.**

**Evidentally, this is quite a bit before canon, though exactly when, I will leave to the next chapter to give you an idea. After all, Reborn isn't quite THE Strongest Hitman in the World that we know yet.**

**I shall be disappearing off to yonder for a great journey, *cough,triptoMountTai,cough*, so don't expect updates for around 3 days. **

**Kthnxbai**


	3. Chapter 3

**HAHAHAHA, I am back.**

**Looking at this; 8 reviews, 34 favourites, 42 follows, 2 communities and 1,000+ hits in five days. Seriously. **

**Thanks to everyone who supports this. Every third chapter will have the people's names down. ****This is a third chapter. Here we go.**

**JLR22, LuciferCrow, Nara110, Nidaime Kira Kensei, spyjordan, Warwolf16, yukicrewger2, abetest, Feidee, hi bob 7771, Ignisha, MagicMysticMojo, SoulNinjas, Grz, ruhiko, ArmyAssassin114, Awaikage Kitsune, deathdrag120, ExtremelyAddictedReader, Freedom fighter 831, lila94, Reader-of-Many, Skeiron, Snush, teiki, Blackbalrog, BuffyXTheXBunnyXKill, Crette, Eien no Mangekyou Sharingan, blacklightningwolf, Mivichi, Kumo no Makoto and vkeeper are all awesome. **

**...There are a lot of you. **

**To the Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer- You haven't seen a change of ownership for Naruto or KHR, so it's safe to assume that I don't own them. If I did, I wouldn't have wasted a bloody chapter explaining Space-Time Jutsu.**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Two

Everyone at Vongola HQ was tense. It was understandable after all, considering that it was the Fire Shadow who was coming to visit their Boss, who requested a 'mutually beneficial relationship between their two parties'. Or in less fancy words, an alliance.

That wasn't the problem; what was, was that the mysterious free-lancing bounty hunter and spy master had agreed to travel to Vongola territory for the meeting, and everyone knew of his legendary reputation and wide array of skills. Should things go south, the Mafioso didn't doubt their ability to take him down, but much damage would be caused and that'd be unacceptable.

Not to mention, their Boss seemed to have some other relation to the figure beforehand, and so warned them of his…eccentricity.

It was duly noted, as weapons were leveled and pointed at an unnatural flicker in the picturesque scene of a carefully-maintained lawn before them. The flicker then seemed to warp into a vaguely human shape until a gust of wind carrying a multitude of leaves circled the area, blocking it from view and causing the Mafioso to further tense, weapons primed for firing.

Then the leaves cleared away and they saw the source of the mysterious phenomenon.

"BWUH!"

Blood filled the air.

.

.

While the same happened around various locations in the building to those who were watching the feed, Timoteo merely sighed, partially amused and partially disturbed while his Guardians attempted to hide their faces. They were men after all, and none of them were used to his…_friend's_ brand of insanity.

"So, how do you like it?"

"I really wish you wouldn't do that, Fire Shadow." Nono replied, waving a vague hand at his Guardians as they assumed defensive stances in front of him. "It doesn't give others the best first impression."

Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze-better known as the Fire Shadow scoffed, "Bitch please. If I cared about what others thought of me, I wouldn't be here. And I told you to call me Naruto; Fire Shadow makes it sound like I'm your Boss and despite my age, looks-wise that just doesn't work."

"Of course Naruto."

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" the blond deadpanned.

Timoteo hid a smile. "Whatever gives you that impression?"

"Cheeky brat."

Apparently his Guardians had recovered from the shock of having a blond twenty something year old man appear suddenly in their Boss' office without warning, not to mention his visiting gift, because his youngest Lightning Guardian managed a, "What the hell gives you the right to call Boss that?"

The other older Guardians all frowned or scowled at the slip-up in professionalism, but it was evident that they felt the same. Finally, Visconti stepped forward as Coyote stepped back and leveled an unreadable look at the blond, "You are the infamous Fire-Shadow?"

Amused, Naruto played along with an exaggerated nod, "Suppose so. What can I do for you Visconti, Cloud Guardian of the Ninth Vongola Boss?"

"An explanation on how you entered the premises without alerting any alarms and your relation to our Boss would be much appreciated."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to know?"

The Cloud-Flame user didn't look amused, "Quite."

"You okay with this?"

The question was directed towards Nono, who merely sighed and nodded, preparing him for the oncoming destruction of his dignity. "They would've had to learn about it sometime."

A ridiculously large grin crossed the blond's which he turned upon the six Guardians, who all stiffened. "Well, for the first, that ties in with the second."

There was a dramatic pause, in which the Sun Guardian mumbled, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Naruto's grin morphed into a smirk as he shot a clearly amused look at Nono, who'd buried his face in his hands, and turned back to the group of six.

"I raised this little brat."

There was a beat of silence before the room was in an uproar.

.

.

"- 'n the brat went, tripping and fell off the cliff screaming like a little girl." The blond finished recounting, sending Brow Nie Jr., Ganauche III, and Schnitten Brabanters into fits of laughter. Coyote had long gone to drink himself into a stupor to forget everything he'd head, the subject of Naruto's story having gone as well.

"Oh, I can't breathe!" wheezed the Lightning Guardian, who an hour ago had been the most antagonistic of the six towards the Fire Shadow.

The shinobi was currently telling embarrassing stories of the Boss, to which the younger three Guardians had laughed themselves near unconscious while Visconti smirked, filing them away for future blackmail usage and Bouche Croquant refrained from doing more than chuckling. It was the least he could do for his boss.

Meanwhile, in another more secret room that somehow had a pleasant view of the outside and estate grounds, the Storm and Sky Guardians were drowning themselves in good bottles of scotch, whiskey, and essentially anything alcoholic since they were long past caring about taste.

"It was terrible you know," lamented Timoteo openly, since it was only Coyote with him. With the Fire Shadow here, it was practically suicide for anyone to attack Vongola at the moment; he could afford this moment of weakness, as he continued to pour his heart out, "I had to endure his training as well as Ottavo- my mother's. And that paled compared to the torture he calls training."

"Wha'ssit?" Nougat managed to slur after a brief pause as he downed a vodka bottle; he was after all trying to wipe all of this from his memories, futile as the attempt was. "Wha'm-happ'ned?"

"He covered me in pig's blood while I was still asleep and managed to travel from the estate to the seaside somehow in the span of an hour. Then he tossed me into well-known shark-infested waters. Told me I had to survive 'til dawn or until the sharks went away to pass this 'entrance exam' for his training."

The now near-completely drunk Storm Guardian clapped a comforting hand on his shoulder. "S'alrig'."

They were interrupted by the doors blasting open with what might've been the Devil striding in as he declared, "Good news, Cheeky-Brat! Apparently, in face of your Guardians, I may as well have been family so there isn't even a need for an alliance! Though I'll have you know that I'm not part of _the_ Famiglia."

Nono didn't even answer, so lost in his sorrows he was.

"Are…are you turning into an emo?" demanded Naruto after a pause, eyes narrowing.

"Whu-NO!" The horror stories of what happened still haunted him to this very day.

The blond looked skeptical but let it slide. "Good, because then I would've had to run a pick-me-up training exercise that reminds one why we don't turn emo."

"'It results in a stick shoved up the ass along with a knife in the back.'" Nono quoted glumly.

"Damn straight. I'll have you know the last man who did that is now still traumatized and utterly terrified of grapes and moustaches."

The younger Guardians looked disturbed.

"Oh, and I'm putting the minions here through the usual," Naruto added casually. "I need to see the standard of the Vongola Famiglia, because lovely as the defenses I designed for this place are, they shouldn't be relied on during an attack or coup d'état."

"…The usual?" asked Bouche Croquant slowly, dreading the answer.

"Nothing really; just a few life threatening and hysteria inducing events, that's all."

Timoteo began praying for his Famiglia's survival.

* * *

**Who caught the faint Hetalia reference?**

**And who can guess what Naruto did?**

**Before anyone goes off about how the Ninth Gen. are all old men for nosebleeding; this is around fifteen years before canon, so logically it's still plausible since the older Guardians are in their late forties-early fifties. Awkward as that is. But Schnitten Brabanters, Ganauche III and Brow Nie Jr. look pretty young in the present in the Manga, so they're in their early twenties-mid thirties or something. **

**Next chapter should be up soon; thanks again to all for supporting. :)**

**7**


	4. Chapter 4

**Trololol, because of the lovely reception from Chapter Two where apparently at least half of you were thrown for the loop with Naruto raising Vongola Nono , here is Chapter Three. Pray for the Vongola's poor souls will you?**

**RATING MAY BE CHANGED FOR F-BOMBS. BUT WHATEVER.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own, never have and never will. Sadly. :'(**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Three

"Because that show during my arrival at HQ was absolutely pathetic, all of you maggots are being put through a series of training exercises until I deem you fit to be released back onto active duty." Naruto began, speaking to the crowd of Mafioso assembled in front of him the next day, at three in the morning.

Most of the crowd had only managed to stumble into some semblance of proper attire in the five minutes they'd been given to get their asses down to the large 'backyard' of the estate, with a few veteran Mafioso looking impeccable. The shinobi noted those few people down; they were the ones with experience.

"Who the hell gave you rights for that, you blond fucker?" snapped one particularly irate man who was dressed rather hapzardly, tie crooked and jacket wrinkled. Many most likely shared his sentiments, along with dress state. Naruto would have to remedy that.

"Cheeky-brat." Replied 'the blond fucker' immediately. "Or better known to you maggots as your beloved Vongola Nono. Be grateful; by the time this is over, all of you will boast skills that'll trump those other Famiglia."

"Screw you!"

Naruto looked amused at the potentially suicidal man's answer. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in that. On the other hand, drop and give me fifty, since you'll prefer that to my alternate solution."

"Yeah?"

"Be my warm up partner."

The man sneered and before he knew it, he was flying across the grounds courtesy of a just visible roundhouse kick.

As he groaned from his position on his miraculously unbroken back, the blond straightened easily from his silent crouch and turned to the pale-faced crowd. "That," he announced. "Was little more than a leg stretch for me."

The several hundred Mafioso that were at HQ blanched. Covering several dozen metres in the span of a heartbeat to pick one man from a literal mob and send him flying with a kick was a 'leg stretch'?

"All right people! We're starting with the good old fashioned free-for-all! Everyone against me; let's do this!"

.

.

An hour later, Naruto had let them off 'easy' as it was 'only their first day'.

One might think otherwise, as most of them suffered from various injuries of differing levels, from simple bruises and scrapes to broken bones. And all of it was caused from the blond limiting himself to hand to hand combat while the Mafioso had been permitted any and all of the weapons-guns, knives, brass-knuckles, melee weapons- that they'd possessed on their body at the time.

Most of those weapons had been reduced to scrap metal or destroyed .

With the current state of most of the force, the blond had taken it upon himself to call for 'reinforcements', which were really transformed clones with different appearances all discreetly formed and brought to the estate with liberal usage of many seals.

Now, the shinobi sat in a lounge room with the Guardians, ready to report his findings.

"How they passed your standard training for Mafioso I'll never know because even the veterans only lasted about five seconds which is really pathetic." was the first thing out of his mouth.

Ouch.

The gathered men all winced at the blunt remark as Timoteo sighed. "Naruto, you must remember that they're not really the kind of fighters that can compete with you."

"Don't care. The veterans should've at least lasted a minute. The rookies were worse, which is disappointing. When I was half their age, my teacher taught me _a technique_ by throwing me off a cliff several hundred metres high." the shinobi maintained stubbornly, completely disregarding the fact that _his_ training had been **_particularly_ **unorthodox. "What are they trained in?"

"Standard weapons handling, moving in different formations, standard academics, Mafia history protocol and etiquette, the Omertá, a secondary and tertiary language at times and other basic skills." Coyote rattled off, resigned to the fact that the current bane of his existence was here to stay for the moment.

"That's pathetic." was the next blunt remark that rammed at the Vongola's pride and dignity. "Back in my day, we were learning weapons handling, moving in different formations, working with more people than you could find in a city, seduction, geography, history, high-school level mathematics, standard protocol, etiquette, social interaction between different classes, different ways to kill a man with our bare hands, how to wage war, stealth, espionage, tracking, theory for attacks, hand-to-hand combat, and a ridiculous number of other skills."

"Excuse the minions then," the Lightning Guardian snipped sarcastically.

A blade imbedded itself into the wall millimetres from the man's head as a few hairs drifted to the ground; a warning and promise. "They will be after my boot-camp."

Ganauche gulped.

.

.

It wasn't often that the sons of the Ninth Boss of the Vongola had their interests piqued, considering their various other interests, such as practicing their shooting, eating, illegal-activities, drinking, and so on.

But watching their Famiglia be forced to run around in a twisted parody of a boot camp by a guy who was half their age certainly did.

"Who the hell is that?" muttered Massimo, before taking a bite out of a pastry.

"I don't know. We'd have to ask father," Enrico replied quietly, posture perfect like that which was required as of a Mafia Boss. "Though I seem to recall him from somewhere…"

Frederico looked unassumingly calculating, "I do too. Strange, usually I remember everyone I meet, no matter what."

The other two sighed as they watched the third of them watch the blond man, not liking the gleam in his eye. "Don't go looking for trouble Frederico; your curiosity will get you killed one day." warned his oldest brother.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." grumbled the third youngest.

The sound of finely made clothes rustling caught their attention as they warily watched their adopted brother stalk out of the room silently.

"Where are you going Xanxus?" Enrico asked cautiously, with good reason. The youngest of the siblings wouldn't hesitate to beat them up if that's what he felt like.

"Outside, trash."

The door slamming ended their conversation.

.

.

"Faster minions!" roared one ridiculously amused blond as he watched those Vongola Famiglia slave through his tasks.

"Yessir!" was the returning call from the majority of the men and few women as they toiled through with the task they'd been assigned, inwardly cursing the most likely mad man.

Who else would force them to fight several of the reinforcements at once alone while dodging the spray of neon coloured paint that served as markers of bullets in real life from snipers situated around the area?

At the very least, their number and environment limited the amount of people that could do the exercise at one time. So while a portion of the group fought for their lives (because if they didn't succeed, the insane blond would only make them do it again to the point of exhaustion, or Heaven forbid some other, crazier task), the rest took the time to catch their breath and grab a drink of water.

"Oi, scum."

The words brought those directly affiliated with the Vongola to a screeching stop, causing several dozen men and women to be covered in paint as several of the disguised clones landed painful punches or kicks on their bodies.

Naruto turned to see a young boy glaring at him. "Can I help you?"

"Fight me."

.

.

"Interesting." Commented Timoteo as he and the Guardians watched the confrontation.

* * *

**IS THAT A CLIFFY I SEE?**

**I don't know, what say you? The stuff Naruto mentioned learning compared to the Vongola was over the span of the Academy, Genin, Chunin, Jounin and ANBU ranks, but Nono doesn't need to know that. Also, the three real sons' of Nono's confusion will be explained in the future.**

**Hetalia reference from last chap.= Traumatizing a guy with grapes and a moustache. Taken from Germany, though I changed it a bit for my own use. **

**Congratulations to Haruka-Oneechan for guessing correctly! Yes, Naruto used his Sexy Jutsu and anyone who was on scene or saw it through security cameras was knocked out from nosebleed. The Guardians just survived.**

***Shameless promoting of friend's fic; if anyone is interested in high-school AU APH fics, my friend CantoCookieMonster is currently writing one; go look it up yeah?***

**Next chapter will be out soon- thanks for the support people!**

**7**


	5. Chapter 5

**HELLO THERE MY FRIENDS. WE HAVE SURPASSED 2,500 HITS. ****IN A WEEK.**

**THIS IS JUST CRAZY. LIKE, VARIA CRAZY. EVEN BYAKURAN CRAZY.**

**DON'T BE HATING FANGIRLS. I SPEAK NAUGHT BUT THY TRUTH.**

**...**

**OKAY, VARIA CRAZY WHEN THEY'RE PISSED AND FUTURE ARC WORLD DOMINATION!BYAKURAN.**

**Current stats- 2 C2's, 23 reviews, 2,832 hits, 1,355 visitors, 41 favs, 54 follows. **

**I feel like a gleeful Lambo after forcing Tsuna to buy him lots of takoyaki and candy. LOTS. ****Either way, Chapter Four. Enjoy lovelies.**

_***IMPORTANT A/N AT BOTTOM IN SAME FONT; GO READ. IT'S IMPORTANT AND WILL AFFECT THIS STORY.***_

**Disclaimer- This. I do not own. Sadly. STOP MOCKING ME DAMN YOU.**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Four

All of the gathered Mafioso silently watched the confrontation, fear and tension almost tangible in the air. Mentally, Naruto took note of this as he turned to face the boy standing several metres away, posture relaxed. "Why?"

The child-who couldn't be more than ten by the looks of it-, sneered at him as his hands lit with Flames that hummed dangerously. "I don't need to give you a reason. Fight me."

With those words, the boy launched himself towards the blond, Flames propelling him forward with unexpected speed. Ducking casually under a flaming fist, the shinobi reached up with an arm and redirected the blow into the ground behind him.

Pivoting on his heel unconcernedly, he watched as his opponent picked himself up from the smoking crater that'd been formed and raised an eyebrow. "Angry little guy aren't you?"

The boy- he'd have to remember the kid's name, it was rude just calling him 'boy' or 'kid' all the time, even if it was mentally, ah yes, it was Xanxus- glared at him. "You trash! I'm Xanxus, future Decimo and you dare mock me? I'll kill you!"

Slipping into his Fire Shadow persona, his eyes narrowed as the other reached for two holsters attached to each of his legs and pulled out two larger-than- normal guns.

Glowing with a golden aura from the flames that they were being charged with, the guns pulsed once before firing as Xanxus roared, "Die trash!"

Naruto watched the attack blaze forward calmly as his mind processed the information it'd acquired. Originally, upon seeing the boy, he'd thought that it'd simply be a little spat and so the blond had planned to toy with him for a bit to see his combat prowess before taking him out.

Now though, with Nono's adoptive son possessing the Flames of Wrath he recognized from the Secondo which were amplified by those guns which were the same kind as the Settimo's Dying Will Guns, that'd completely changed the game plan. If he let this play out now, he risked the portion of the Famiglia gathered several dozen metres away getting injured and that would be unacceptable.

Inwardly sighing, Naruto called upon his chakra for the first time in a good while as his hands blurred together for a second. A heartbeat later, shot ever-nearing, he muttered, "Doton: Doryūheki."

Faster than one would expect for something of its size, a perfectly formed solid-looking wall of extremely densely packed earth rose from the ground, just in time to shield its creator from the flames. The attack slammed into the defense, throwing debris and dust into the air.

Sheer pressure knocked more than one person off their feet as the rest all but scrambled for cover. Much like a train wreck, all eyes were glued to the scene in front of them; something they should've been stopping but couldn't even move their bodies even if they wanted to. Not to mention the silent knowledge within all of their minds that if anyone attempted to intervene, it'd be the boy who'd end them painfully.

As the two fighters were blocked from view, the Mafioso wondered faintly in the backs of their minds if this was what the blond had meant by 'higher levels of combat' during his rant slash speech in the beginning of their training exercise. None of them now had any doubt of the man before them being the Fire Shadow and living up to his name.

So caught up in the current ongoings, none noticed the mysterious absence of the reinforcements.

Within moments, the obscuring smokescreen had been cleared away by a forceful breeze that few picked up on-and the fact that it seemed confined to the battlefield. Jaws dropped as the wall was revealed to be as pristine as when first created, other than faint scorch marks where the unnamed attack had made contact.

Rage, hate, confusion and more- all directed towards the blond- a complete stranger, marred Xanxus' face as he snarled, "What the fuck? The goddamn wall isn't even damaged?"

Blue eyes that were sub-zero in intensity and deadly calculating locked onto the enraged boy as Naruto stepped out from behind his defense soundlessly. "The hand-held equivalent of nuclear bombs have been hurled at this wall without leaving a scratch; the fact that your shots have is proof of your strength."

"Don't fucking kid with me trash! I'm the son of Vongola Nono with the Flames of Wrath that haven't been seen since Secondo's time; I should've destroyed that shitty wall! What the hell are you playing at?" snapped the dark-haired boy.

An image of another dark-haired boy overlapped with the one before him, and for less than even a second, the blond's eyes were filled with pain before the expression disappeared. Thoughts from a lifetime ago drifted through his mind.

_The eyes…they're the same. _His face hardened. _But I __**will**__ change that._

Regaining his composure, he spoke simply, with only a factual tone. "Nothing. I gain nothing from lying to you. I've been eating, breathing, and living for combat and killing long before you were even a mass of cells. I was born and raised for fighting and it's been years since anyone forced me to use a technique and get serious. You've done better than people thrice your age have, and you'll only grow stronger with the right mind-set."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with me? You fucker!" Xanxus made to raise his weapons again when his target snapped his fingers and disappeared. "What the hell?"

Air shifted minutely, and the apparently diamond hard wall crumbled like a sandcastle under a wave, pouring back into the ground.

The last thing Xanxus registered before being knocked out by a blow to the back of his neck was a pair of unfathomable blue eyes staring down at him with what appeared to be regret flashing through them.

.

.

The Mafioso watched as their trainer caught the Boss' son, picking and slinging him onto his back before turning to them. No one dared to speak, to break the quiet that had befallen them as if fearing that their ends would come should they do so.

The silence felt like eternity before the man spoke quietly.

"Dismissed."

Several hours ago, few of the sharply dressed men and women assembled had any respect for the blond in front of them, believing him to be a cocky fool who the Ninth was humouring and didn't know his place.

Witnessing his short battle with the Young Master had changed their views and put things into perspective as he took the boy down with minimal effort; something that he evidentally could've done at the beginning of the fight. It spoke volumes of his skill, experience, and person in the way he'd dealt with the situation.

Now, they merely acknowledged the order as they would had it been the highest echelons of the Famiglia in the man- the Fire Shadow's place. "Yessir."

By then, the sun was just in the midst of rising as the mob scattered to their posts for the meanwhile until the free-lancing bounty hunter and spy master called upon them again. Said free-lancing bounty hunter and spy master merely sighed tiredly once they were gone, feeling very much his age at the moment, staring at the boy's currently peaceful face, hitched on his back.

He reminded Naruto so much of that which was long gone.

"What am I gonna do with you?"

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**OKAY, SO I TROLLED YOU GUYS REALLY BADLY WITH THAT CRAPPY FIGHT.**

**BUT HONESTLY; RAISE YOUR HANDS IF YOU AGREE THAT ANYWHERE, ANYHOW, NARUTO WOULD WIPE NEAR DAMN EVERYONE'S ASSES IN A FULL ON FIGHT, NOTHING BARRED.**

**But I promise later on, we'll get better fights. Yeah. Because it's not shounen if there's no wonderful, wonderful, bloody gory melee fighting with a bunch of crazy guys.**

**_BTW, For my update schedule; go vote for what you want on my profile._**

**7 **


	6. Chapter 6

**BONJOUR MES AMIS, COMMENT CA VA?**

**The summary said this would be crack. Two chapters ago, I promised a fight. I trolled you on both accounts, because now that this is a serious fic, I have to develop it and give it depth.**

**So this chapter is really serious and stuff. I'm sorry for that.**

_On another account, WE'VE ALMOST HIT 4,000 HITS. OH SNAP._

_ALSO, I HAVE FIC IDEAS ON MY PROFILE; IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HAVING ME START ONE OF THEM, REVIEW OR PM ME KAY?_

**Chapter Five my lovely readers. Here it is.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own either of them. Otherwise, the Arcobaleno would be in their adult forms *permanently* by now... Though Primo knows the fangirls would spawn and multiply and drool all over them...*shudder***

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Five

After having returned Xanxus to his room and left a clone to watch him, Naruto headed over to Vongola Nono's office.

Upon reaching the heavy wooden doors, the blond didn't even bother knocking as he strode in after a minute pause. "Cheeky-Brat."

The Boss sighed and looked at his long-time friend, and to be honest with himself, pseudo older brother slash uncle figure with resigned eyes, "Would it kill you to knock Naruto?"

"Nope," replied the shinobi, popping the 'p'. "If I need to knock to let you know that I'm there, then you and everyone in the room need more training. I'll be checking up on all your skills in the next few days by the way."

All the Guardians tensed at the remark; evidently they had to carry through as the blond would find some way to force them into it otherwise, and after the stories they'd heard of their Boss' 'training', they were all suitably wary of the man.

"If you must." came the answer from Nono.

"I do. And you better not be showing that spinelessness in front of other Famiglia's; this is a dog eat dog world and everyone knows it." Naruto lectured, before the relatively carefree atmosphere in the room dissipated like mist in the sun. Discreetly, he focused some chakra into a certain seal he'd planted among others in the room which would ensure that no one would interrupt or overhear the following conversation. "Timoteo."

Everyone straightened automatically at the particular tone in the Fire Shadow's voice, not to mention his usage of the Ninth Boss' name. The subject in question donned his 'Boss' aura, perfect posture as he stared seriously at the shinobi. "What is it?"

The blond locked eyes with the man he'd raised. "Why haven't you told Xanxus about his true heritage?"

Stiffening, Nono simply narrowed his eyes, mind calculating. "It has never come up and has never been an issue."

One could almost feel the words being shot down physically. "That's bullshit and you know it Timoteo," Naruto stated bluntly and semi-harshly; he didn't want to do this to the man, the boy he'd raised, but he would not have others becoming like that man of so long ago. "The kid wants to be Vongola Decimo knowing that he'll have to go through his adoptive brothers, but if he doesn't have the blood, the Sky Ring will reject him. Even if he knows, he's most definitely the type to go through without the ring and through other means. What with your sons and the many roads of the future, who knows what will happen? The Family will be thrown into turmoil and Kami knows what that will do to the Vongola."

The room seemed to hold its breath as the man, _the Boss _said nothing for a moment before sighing, massaging his eyes. "You're right."

Minds whirling at this new development, the Guardians watched as the two before them exchanged words that were more than just words. Not even Coyote had been fully aware of the situation of the time when his Sky had gone out and returned with a scowling boy in tow. It was obvious now, if one had been blind to notice it before, of the amount of trust Nono had in Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze.

"My son is…ambitious to say the least in wanting to become Vongola Decimo." Timoteo looked for once, so very old as he spoke. "With the political restraints preventing him from becoming the next Boss, not to mention his brothers and blood, the chances of that happening are slim to none. Yet there is nothing I can do right now other than potentially having him become the next leader of the Varia after Tyr retires; political marriage is nigh unthinkable and simply having him as another Family Member would not fit his station."

Silence reigned supreme in the next few moments until the shinobi spoke. "…Politics. I hate politics." A loud exhale escaping him, a hand ran through his blond hair as serious blue eyes stared at the other. "I would say tell him still, and prepare contingency plans for the backlash. If you think you might need it, plan it and do it. Otherwise, start training him properly with the right amount of force to succeed the Sword Emperor; your alternatives would not bode well for anyone. Also, you will need to get your External Advisor's opinion on this matter due to its gravity."

Ganauche III blinked slowly. "I didn't take you to the type to get involved with politics Signore Namikaze."

"I didn't either," Naruto drawled wryly. "Unfortunately, life doesn't always work the way we want to."

Nono joined the conversation again, sliding in smoothly, "Indeed it doesn't. And so that is why I must also ask that you leave this matter alone after the decision is finalized."

Blue eyes widened before narrowing, "What?"

"Xanxus is my son and as such, my responsibility. I do not doubt your capabilities in raising him, but the problems that it would cause would be most unpleasant, most implying my diminishing capabilities as Boss should I not even be able to raise my son properly. The occasional spar and fight is permitted, along with visits but they must be regulated so there are no assumptions of unfavorable things."

The shinobi stood dangerously straight, face blank as the words turned over in his mind. Limited influence and visits to the boy who he'd promised to himself that he'd fix. Unknowingly to him, a slightly pained expression had appeared on his face as his composure slipped with old memories surfacing to the front of his mind.

Along with using his head in battle, Time had also taught him that not all promises could be kept. Few as they were, the simple fact that he hadn't been able to keep them in those years right after the Fourth Great Shinobi World War had hit him hard; it was his nindo after all.

"_I promise Sakura-chan! I'll bring Sasuke back and we'll be Team Seven again!"_

"_I won't let you, you bastard! I gave my word-ttebayo!"_

"_**Because I swore on it; that's my nindo!"**_

The memories flashed through his mind and he immediately clamped down on them; he couldn't afford weakness right now.

Moderated neutral tones caused tension to shoot through the room again at the foreign way the blond said it. "I see. Then I'll leave you to decide what's best then Timoteo. If you would, inform me as soon as the decision is made."

The Boss' body was equally unreadable. "Thank you. I will."

"By the way, most of the lower echelons of the Family need work on their physical conditioning; I'll be taking them for the week for my training. Don't worry about the task-force; my people will replace them. If that's all, then I'll retire for the moment. Ganauche, you're first tomorrow. Back field at three." A casual wave and barely audible click of the door signaled the Fire Shadow's leave.

A carefully thoughtful atmosphere was left in his wake as the Guardians all regained control over themselves and their thoughts, cautiously watching Nono who finally exhaled tiredly. "That did not go well."

"Did you expect it to?" questioned Visconti idly. "The kid obviously reminds him of someone, though he's a bit too attached."

"He has his reasons." Nono stated quietly. "I don't want to do this, but it's the right thing to do."

"What about Xanxus?" asked his Storm.

"…Ignorance is a bliss."

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**Sorry for the late update,**_ THOUGH MY SCHEDULE WILL CHANGE DEPENDING ON THE POLL. SO VOTE KAY?. _

**...**

YUP. Naruto has changed.

**HEY, IF YOU LIVED FOR A FREAKIN' LONG TIME, YOU'D CHANGE TOO.**

_KHR ONE-SHOT TO THE PERSON WHO CAN SPOT THE REAALLLY OBSCURE CARTOON REFERENCE IN THIS CHAPTER. I WILL WRITE ONE FOR WHOEVER SPOTS IT. HINT- WORLD OF *****_


	7. Chapter 7

**IT'S OVER 5000. HITS.**

**OH AND I FORGOT TO DO THE HONOURABLE MENTIONS LAST CHAP. MY BAD. **

**So thanks to newjoiners*takes deep breath*- 3master, dragonelete, imBored09, sniper757, whitecloud222, Haruka-Oneechan, Locked Crypt, JokemasterX, kouske no kaze, 3elizabeth, ADL1, blabla1994, Mr D Knight Of the Woo, Kavannah, rainbowloves394, brian tigre, child-of-paradox-and-chaos, dragonwings307, Lukarion, ShinigamiinPeru, Lazy Historian, Stonebridge, LilyMoonstone, monkeygirl123, Serceus, Shadow Nite, Gentleman Bastard, majishan, voidwalker23, beta657, BoneDragon, gundamxmeister, Nitemar, Phibriglex, TerrorPain, Twix03, darkyshana, fictionfic123, Shikyo no Kyoufu, and Terror of Death Skieth.**

**...The numbers seem to be growing.**

**CHAPTER SIX LOVELIES.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own, never have, never will. Otherwise, the Bosses would constantly be out and about of the Sky Ring to pester Tsuna for my amusement. **

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Six

Outside Nono's office, Naruto calmed himself with a deep breath. You'd think that after centuries of living, he'd have mellowed out a bit more, but it was still easy to see his mother's fiery temper in him. The thing was though, if he actually got _angry_ and went on a rampage, he wouldn't be simply taking out a training ground; he'd be destroying a country.

Even as a sixteen-year old with minimal training during the Fourth Great Shinobi World War, his massive reserves of chakra and destructive fighting style led to several square kilometres of nature being completely decimated with every battle. Now, with light-years more experience than your next average combatant on earth, it'd be fairly easy to do so.

Sufficiently more level-headed now, the shinobi walked down the hall with mind not completely there as he navigated the mansion with ease on auto-pilot.

Xanxus reminded him of Sasuke- the boy he never really managed to save, even in the end. It'd been his first broken promise and one of the few that had sent him into an almost depression. The result had been several lost pounds after locking himself into his apartment and using whatever sealing knowledge he had to keep everyone out for several days until Kurama took over and forced him into panicked friends' arms. Now, being limited and not even able to atone for his first failure felt like the Gods were laughing at him, and even knowing that it was better that he didn't get involved, it hurt.

A lot.

Sighing, he was brought out of his thoughts by a politely civil voice greeting him. "Ciao."

Blinking, the blond looked up see a group of three young men in Armani suits, all bearing a familial resemblance to the man he'd just left behind in the office. It'd been the eldest who'd spoken, two others placed slightly behind him defensively.

Pasting on an easy-going if tired smile, he returned the greeting. "Hello there. You must be Cheeky-Brat's sons."

The second who looked to be slightly big-boned (a wistful smile almost crossed his face, how many times had Chouji insisted that everyone say 'big-boned' instead of 'fat'?) shifted almost naturally to reach for most likely a hidden weapon. "Excuse me?"

Teasing these three would do wonders for his mind-set right now, he mused as a mischievous smirk appeared. "Ah, you know him better as Vongola Nono, your father."

"Why-?" started the youngest when his brothers each slapped a hand over his mouth with synchronized deadpans. "Don't, Frederico."

A laugh escaped him at how the man looked like a sullen child being denied candy, "I haven't seen that for a good while, it's nice to see that you haven't changed too much, Enrico, Massimo, Frederico."

Three pairs of eyes turned to him as he dramatically pulled a fan of photographs of the brothers' embarrassing childhood events from his coat.

They gaped. "How did you-?"

Frederico was the first to catch on as he lunged forward with a roar of, "IT WAS YOU!"

Startled, Enrico and Massimo let go as the youngest pounced, only to tackle thin air, the last wisps of smoke dissipating.

Amused laughter echoed in the air around them as the presence of the now-recognized Fire Shadow disappeared with a last message.

"Come to the back field at three tomorrow if you want to see something interesting brats."

.

.

Either somebody overheard or it was leaked, but the Vongola rumour mill seemed just as strong as any other, as by the time three o'clock the next day rolled around, there was a large enough crowd of curious Mafioso.

Naruto stared blankly at his opponent. "You didn't."

The young man laughed nervously, "I um, may have spoken of it in the presence of others? Accidentally?"

The blond blinked before speaking in a disturbingly calm voice. "You know, I was going to give you the option of choosing which level to fight me at, but now you've just gone and pissed me off." Directing his next statement to the crowd, he snapped out, "Oi! What are you all standing around for minions? This is a private event!"

A man stepped from the anxiously shifting mass of people and they parted like the Red Sea as Visconti, looking sharp as ever, added, "It has been decided and sanctioned by the Boss, so please leave…"

The silent '_or else,' _hung in the air ominously, and seconds later, the field was empty. Not that the remaining people had any misconceptions that there were those who'd try to watch from the mansion's windows.

Snorting, the shinobi dropped into a crouch, making several hand-seals in a blur of fingers before slamming his open palm onto the ground and calling out the seal's name quietly, "Fuuinjutsu: Ichihōkō no Shōheki."

A large array of flowing, curving sealing lines and runes lit up with a light blue glow before it spread outward into a large rectangular area that spanned an area that would easily fit their battle. The barrier pulsed white-blue for a moment before fading away to reveal the scenery again, causing much confusion.

"That technique…It's a barrier isn't it?" questioned Bouche Croquant.

Naruto nodded, serious. "Ichihōkō no Shōheki translates roughly into 'One-Way Barrier'. Like its name implies, it only goes one way much like a one-way glass mirror, except on a much larger scale unless the caster- me- releases it. When activated, those on the inside are unaffected while those on the outside can't see, hear, feel, smell, or experience any of the happenings inside. They're also blocked from physically entering the perimeter of the area."

"Impressive," mumbled the Sun Guardian, looking at the place where the technique had appeared, new appreciation and admiration just visible.

The two fighters entered the unofficial 'battle-zone' and began warming up slightly as everyone else stepped back to put some distance between them and the fight.

Suddenly, a smooth baritone voice from a dark figure melting from the shadows of the nearby trees interrupted the procession.

"Chaos."

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**TROLOLOL, YES I DID JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THE END OF THE START OF A BATTLE WITH REBORN ENTERING AT THE LAST SECOND.**

**DO YOU HATE ME NOW?**

**Either way, **_VOTE ON THE POLL PEOPLE. IT IS IMPORTANT._


	8. Chapter 8

**Yeah...It's been what- three days? **

**Forgive me; I've been pulling myself together after RL, writing/planning longer, proper chapters after all. Not to mention watching KHR again to refresh my memory and such. **

**Thanks to those who voted on the poll and everyone for their support. :D **

**Either way, I'm glad that even without updating daily, people are still reading this. Makes me happy. **

**Chapter Seven. It's time to get serious.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own KHR or Naruto. Believe it.**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Seven

"Decided to join us have you?" questioned the nonchalant blond, bouncing on the balls of his feet, eyes never leaving his opponent with words directed to the newcomer in their midst.

The hitman shrugged, "I suppose. Rumours were circulating and I had time to kill." _Not to mention the fact that I was curious, _went unmentioned, but apparently the shinobi knew if the small smile curling his lips were any indication.

Fedora tipping to shadow his face, the man scowled; he was slipping and it was damn too early and unthinkable to be blaming it on senility. Insanity could possibly work.

"Whatever. You ready kid?" Naruto directed his full attention back at the young man standing several metres away, looking calm as he should've been, though the not-quite-hidden nervousness tipped him off. A feral grin nearly crossed his face as he contemplated how to mess with the Lightning Guardian the best. Perhaps something from the horror stories of Nono's childhood, that could work…

"As much as I'll ever be," commented Ganauche lightly before a scowl appeared, "Don't call me a kid."

The Fire Shadow laughed amusedly as he stared the other dead in the eye, "I'm calling you a kid because that's what you are to me until you prove otherwise. Let's go."

With that, what looked like a simple push with his foot propelled the fighter with a speed that rendered him near-invisible to the naked eye. Ganauche's eyes widened and based on pure instinct alone ducked, a powerful looking roundhouse kick swinging through the air where his head had been mere milliseconds ago.

Jumping away, the man twisted in mid-air to pull out a gun and fire it with his left hand as the other; his right Naruto noted absently as he landed softly on the ground, with the Vongola Lightning Ring on it, supported the weapon and sparked with green-white electricity.

Bullets covered with the dangerous Lightning 'Hardening' or 'Piercing' Flames tore through the air to Naruto, who merely cracked another grin as he eyed the metal slugs. They may as well have been crawling through the air as he weaved deliberately around them in complex patterns before shooting towards his opponent.

Ganauche cursed; _goddamn_ this guy was fast! He really should've taken the man more seriously when he heard all those stories of the Boss getting those torture sessi- er, training exercises.

Whatever, it was too late now. Besides, during battle, adaptation was the name of the game.

That moment cost him, and the Guardian found his gun getting crushed by a hand as his opponent's disturbingly grinning face flashed in front of him before he had to jerk to the side to avoid a punch to the face. Not a second later, he was knocked off his feet by a leg sweep and barely recovered to roll out of the way of an axe kick which pulverized the ground where it landed.

Abandoning his gun, he twisted again to push himself up and land on his feet to face his opponent who immediately rushed him before subjecting him to a series of punches, kicks, and jabs from just about every possible joint.

More curses escaped the Guardian as he backpedaled just enough to put about a metre of space between him before drawing on his Flames again and channeling them through his ring. "Scudo Fulmine!"

A wall of electricity exploded from him to form a dangerously crackling shield before him, effectively protecting him from the physical onslaught and buying him a scant few seconds to come up with a plan as the other was electrocuted. Stopping the flow of Flames, he prepared for the pain that would come for his plan to work as the barrier dissipated, waiting to see his opponent-

Who was gone.

"Well, you're not hopeless I suppose," drawled the echoing voice of one currently invisible blond. "I've seen worse, I've seen better. But seriously, do you guys only know how to use weapons? And long distance-arms as well? What the hell do you people do when you're up close and personal? Use your guns as a club and hope for the best?"

The blond-slash-raven's eye twitched dangerously. "Excuse me?"

"Do none of you know any martial arts? Really? Are you people that dependent on your weapons and flames to do the work for you? Laaaaaame man. Lame." Naruto sighed from somewhere disappointedly as he continued to aggravate and antagonize the young man. "Here I thought you were something. This is sad; it's not even going to be a warm up at this rate."

Suicidal as it was, Ganauche's pride flared with indignation as the man's jaw set; he would not take this insult lying down. Another gun- a modified fully-automatic Glock 18 capable of charged with Dying Will Flames- practically materialized in his hands as he loaded the magazine and fed his Flames into the weapon. "Cacciatore di Fulmine Blitz!"

White-wreathed bullets crackling with green on the very fringes of the aura shot out of the gun faster than the norm as a trail of light was left to show the path of the attack. The blond blinked before sighing again as he fell to the side. "You know, doing the same thing again isn't very creati-"

The second the shinobi's body was falling, out of the line of fire of those bullets, they snapped around at a sharp angle to resume the chase, causing blue eyes to open and widen a bit more with curiosity and interest.

A lever was flicked, or so the young man likened it to as another smile curved the Fire Shadow's lips and a gleam entered his eyes. Veering sharply into the wooded area, Naruto continued to dodge, moving erratically and jumping through trees every now and then, analyzing the attack all the while as it pierced and tore through trees, rocks and more to chase after him. "Oho? What is this?"

The Guardian smirked slightly as the blond flipped out onto the field again, all of the bullets still following his path as he fired even more rounds to chase after the man, "How do you like it?"

The shinobi hummed noncommittally, "Interesting…"

"Yeah?" asked Ganauche as he engaged the other in combat himself once more.

"…But been there, done that. You're not the first to have tried something like this." the blond smiled calmly, blue eyes sweeping to meet the stunned Lightning-Flame user before intoning, "Uzumaki Tate."

Swirling blue and white energy burst to life on a raised arm, until there was a humming, spiraling disc of energy shielding its creator whose smile only widened even more at the shocked look on the other's face.

Lightning Flame covered bullets slammed into the shield and promptly disintegrated with the screech of warped metal, Flames dispersing. Lowering the arm which controlled the technique, the shinobi stared at the blond-raven.

"That-it-you-what?" sputtered the young man.

"Eloquent." commented Naruto almost sincerely. "But that's for me to know and you to hopefully never find out. It's here now, that I now pick apart your attack. Those bullets of yours are covered in specially concentrated Lightning Flames that home in on the electricity that the human body's nerves release, simply put, and even more so when they're in action attempting to dodge which only increases the amount of electricity released. Considering the Lightning Flame's lesser known and used 'Piercing' aspect, air resistance is also cut down and the bullets themselves speed up several times beyond that of normal ones. Hence the bullets pursuing the target and breaking through anything and everything to get the target, unless they encounter resistance beyond their capability to pierce through. That's the technical speech and details, but tell me; am I right?"

.

.

On the sidelines, the spectators observed the battle, discussing it amongst themselves idly.

"It's here that you really see how he's the Fire Shadow," remarked Bouche Croquant to his companions as they all watched the man in question dodge their fellow's attack. "You would never think of someone so carefree to be the legendary free-lancing bounty hunter and spy-master."

"Indeed. His physical condition and reaction-time are almost without comparison. Not a movement is wasted and everything is calculated. His style is an unpredictable mix of a multitude of styles from all over the world and Ganauche is only avoiding them because the Fire Shadow lets him avoid them." Visconti analyzed, pausing momentarily to make note of something before continuing. "From what I can tell, there is street brawling, the Drunken-Fist, Capoeira, and Jujutsu incorporated amongst other styles."

"That's not very surprising considering his apparent Eastern heritage," murmured Brow Nie Jr. "Though it is odd how he looks nothing like the typical Japanese with his blond hair and blue eyes. It is most strange."

Noises of assent were made and there was a momentary calm as the fight vanished into the forest until the subject of their conversation reappeared, calm as ever and dodging the rapidly growing number of attacks with ease. Actually, it looked like he'd been doing this all his life, though that was more than just a possibility.

Silence filled the air around the group as every pair of eyes were glued to the whirling mass of energies surrounding the Fire Shadow's arm as it destroyed their youngest Guardian's attack with ease.

"…Those are not Dying Will Flames." The World's Strongest Hitman verbalized what was on everyone's minds, tilting his fedora to cover his face.

"They aren't." agreed the Cloud Guardian. "The question is; what are they?"

Nobody had an answer.

Dark, narrowed eyes stared out at the calm blond.

_Who exactly are you and how strong are you, 'Fire Shadow'?_

_._

_._

Ganauche gaped unbecomingly for the Lightning Guardian. "Wha-?"

"I've been around for much longer than you have. I've seen more, felt more, experienced more. Don't take it personally." Naruto stated simply as he let his technique die, wisps of blue-white energy fading away. "But while you would be more than enough for any random Mafioso, the world doesn't work like that. Sooner or later, you'll face someone who can hand your ass to you on a silver platter without remorse and no-holds barred. You need to get stronger, faster, sharper, better.

Physically, you have little in the way of defending yourself without your Flames and weapons with no hand-to-hand combat experience. Work with that and augmenting your control over your Flames so they react faster and better."

The younger man blinked, "So…"

Air rushed out of his lungs as the image of the blond flickered and disappeared and the actual person himself pinned the blond-raven to the ground with several joints in a lock and a knife to the throat. Cool, blue eyes stared down at the other who was wide-eyed.

"Checkmate."

Pressing the knife just a bit closer, the Fire Shadow seemingly searched for something in the pinned Guardian's eyes before seeming to accept that his point was proven and standing up.

Turning to return to the group, the shinobi was stopped by Ganauche's quietly contemplative voice. "…How much were you holding back?"

Unreadable eyes flickered backwards. "…Do you want the sugar-coated version or the honest truth?"

The other's own hardened. "This is Mafia and I'm Vongola Nono's Lightning Guardian. There isn't a place here for sugar-coating when the Boss' life is on the line."

Naruto nodded faintly, approving before continuing on walking. His words echoed in the quiet clearing, ringing loud and clear for everyone to hear despite the soft voice he used; the sure voice of a killer.

_"Had I decided to kill you, you wouldn't have noticed even after your head hit the ground and your heart stopped beating."_

* * *

**Ooh, ominous eh? Well, had any of you picked up on it in the Prologue, you would realize that Naruto is at the very least a thousand years old. So yes, I would like to think that he'd be able to do that with plausible reasoning. **

**I'd also like to note that creating and translating Jutsu and names for Naruto (his repetoire in canon is pathetic) of all Release Styles and Jutsu types is a pain, so if someone is willing to help me translate proper names for techniques I create in Japanese and Italian for canon characters who haven't shown many techniques yet, that'd be helpful. Otherwise, native speakers will cringe at my terrible butchering of their languages. I apologize.**

_Cacciatore di Fulmine Blitz (Original Technique)- Lightning Hunter Blitz/Hunter of Lightning Blitz: As explained above_

_Scudo Fulmine (Canon Technique)- Lightning Shield: An electromagnetic shield created from Ganauche's Vongola Ring with the standard Lightning 'Hardening' and 'Electrocuting' qualities._

_Uzumaki Tate (Original Technique)- Whirlpool/Maelstrom Shield: Mix of Chakra Form Manipulation (like the Rasengan, but flattened more) and wind-water chakra to form a literal hand-held whirpool shield. The plain Chakra is the base form for the whirlpool, the Wind Chakra the destructive aspect that rends and shreds, and the Water Chakra the defensive aspect that shields._

**Next time: The outcome of the Vongola's Boss' decision of what to do with Xanxus is released to the inner circle and things get a bit tenser.**

**That's all for now. See you next time.**

**7**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yup. Three days and another 2,000 words.**

**On another note, IT'S OVER 9000. You guys are awesome~**

**46 reviews, 9,244 hits, 3,380 visitors, 79 favs, 101 follows. **

**Chapter Eight people. It gets more serious. **

**WARNING- Canon's timeline/plotline and this universe's timeline/plotline don't exactly run perfectly parallel to each other, so there will be different outcomes to events and whatnot. Expect liberal usage of Author's Creative License to fill plotholes. **

**Disclaimer-Don't own. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rabid fangirls after me for maiming Xanxus/stabbing Byakuran and Squalo a la Jager.**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Eight

Several days later, the 'Tests' of sorts had been concluded with Naruto battling every Guardian and discreetly wiping the floor with them in ways that they only discovered later on.

At this time, the discussions concerning Xanxus' future between Vongola Nono and his External Advisor had also ended.

And so once again, the Ninth Generation Guardians and the blond in his Fire Shadow persona, outfit and mask covering face were in the now familiar office, waiting for the Boss and his companion to address them.

Leaning against the wall, blue eyes drilled into the man sitting behind the desk. "What's the verdict?"

There was no joking tone to accompany the comment, and the tense atmosphere set in properly as Nono sighed heavily, lacing his fingers together as he shifted and put his weight on his arms. "Xanxus will not be told. The chances of him actually getting the chance to become Decimo are miniscule with his three brothers to go through, and the chances of him finding out even more so. When the time comes, he will be appointed as the next head of Varia."

The Fire Shadow said nothing for the moment, stare never leaving their subject until they swept over to the blond standing beside his former charge (_studentsonchild_). "This is the consensus that the Boss and Advisor have come to?"

Brown eyes met blue evenly, without a trace of fear. "It is."

A silent stare-down ensued and finally, Naruto blinked slowly before nodding in acknowledgement impassively. "If that is the will of the Vongola and Boss."

Nono returned the gesture before continuing. "Along with this, is the next order of business. While we are unofficial allies of sorts, it needs to become official. The best way to show this would be through the Annual Mafia Ball that the Vongola holds for its allies and neutral parties. It can be announced then while before that time, the alliance gains support from several of our allies discreetly."

"That's in several months…" stated the shinobi. "So arrangements will be made accordingly on both of our parts?"

"Yes. First and foremost will be the Famiglia itself; most of them know of you, but the rest do not and it has yet to be more than strong rumours at the moment. Then, it will be Varia, our independent assassination squad and the Cavallone Famiglia."

"One of your biggest allies since the time of its creation." the blond finished quietly in contemplation before pausing momentarily, shifting as he glanced at the others. "What about the other great Famiglia?"

"Ah. Yes, I forgot." Timoteo closed his eyes. "This year, it will be the four-hundredth anniversary in celebration of the Famiglia's creation by Vongola Primo. All our allies, along with neutral and rival Famiglia from around the world will be coming to take part in this event."

"…I see. So we will be starting with the CEDEF yes?"

The aging man moved back in his chair. "Indeed. Let me introduce you to the Head of the Vongola's CEDEF, my External Advisor, also known as 'The Young Lion of the Vongola'. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, this is Iemitsu Sawada."

"So you're the Head of CEDEF. Nono must trust you immensely. It's a pleasure to meet you and I hope we can work together sometime." The shinobi dipped his head slightly with the polite words.

Iemitsu nodded in return, knowing what the other meant. Advisor or not, the Boss would not simply give such precious personal information to him if he did not believe the man to be capable of safe-keeping it, "It's an honour to meet the legendary Fire Shadow, and perhaps we may one day."

"I think that is all for the moment, so you may take the Fire Shadow and show him the Milan CEDEF HQ." Nono spoke, but everyone knew that was just a courtesy because this was the Fire Shadow; a legend in his own right in the world. Even more, with his background, it was laughable and insulting to presume that he didn't know the layout of the all the Vongola and CEDEF bases better than some of the people who'd lived there for years.

The shinobi turned to the Vongola Boss, and a silent conversation passed between them in a second before Timoteo blinked and nodded towards his Advisor.

"Of course." The Young Lion turned to his companion. "Excuse us."

Naruto met each person in the room's gaze before following. "Lead on."

.

.

Another several days passed with the start of the visit to CEDEF Headquarters in Milan, Lombardy, not too far away from the North Italian Base of the Vongola in which after having sent a clone as a messenger to the Cavallone to schedule a meeting, Naruto got to 'explore' the rather ordinary-looking business building freely, without having to sneak around like usual. Iemitsu had been a lovely guide who'd dropped the serious persona almost immediately upon stepping into the place, going around greeting and provoking his subordinates childishly, with a sighs of resignation and many panicked underlings abound.

The older (_much_ older) blond had watched amusedly with a touch of nostalgia at the going-on's of the people around him as they worked efficiently despite their boss' attempts to drag them in on his insanity. How long ago was it that he'd been almost just as carefree with people like this?

Walking onwards, the shinobi had noted many details from years of experience, things like the curious fact that most of the underlings' names were herb-related and most likely code-names, and that the exits were all strategically placed with furniture ordered in ways that'd allow people to intercept intruders.

"And this is my place!" The younger man pushed open a larger, grander looking door to a well-furnished, modern looking office.

Two of the walls were completely made of tempered, bullet-proof glass several inches thick with blinds that could be controlled via remote while the ground was made of white marble. It was risky considering this was the Head's office and they were Mafia, but they had to keep up with the looks after all.

On the far side was a large desk made of metal with a comfortable leather chair behind it and another equally comfortable-looking chair in front, several cabinets off to the side. In front, just before the two was a wooden coffee table with a black leather couch on either side. Potted plants and pieces of art decorated the rest of the room, bringing some life to the monochrome coloured office.

A knock sounded at the doors and Iemitsu opened them again to reveal a pale-haired brunette with a tray laden with steaming cups of coffee and biscuits. "Boss."

The CEDEF Head swooped over to take the offered food and drink, grinning cheesily at his subordinate. "Anise! Thank you so much! Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

'Anise' merely pushed up her glasses with a sigh before deadpanning. "Of course Boss. Though I'm starting to wonder whether I should be mentioning this to your wife."

Face white, the man backpedaled, "Um, I meant you're a wonderful subordinate!"

Smirking, the woman nodded before backing out. "Thank you, Boss."

"Nice office," Naruto commented in an offhand manner, voice dry as he sat down on one of the couches, sharp eyes easily picking out hidden compartments in his surroundings where undoubtedly, weapons were stored. "Looks pretty legit."

"That's because CEDEF and Vongola poured a lot amount of money into building this place. The walls in most of the rooms are soundproof and bulletproof, the place set up for maximum security measures with weapons everywhere and even the furniture itself place like a maze." explained the other nonchalantly as he set down the tray, picking up a cup and dumping the provided sugar and cream in. Stirring, the atmosphere was quiet and relaxed until Iemitsu's whole demeanor sharpened.

"Yes?" asked the shinobi with a raised eyebrow, cup in hand.

The cup with set down with a dull _clink_. "I trust Nono without a doubt, and if Nono says you're someone worth making an alliance with, then I'll believe him."

"But you just can't trust me without verifying this for yourself, right?" questioned the older blond rhetorically, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I'm not surprised."

_Click._ Gun cocked and primed for shooting, Iemitsu held it, aimed straight between the eyes of the Fire Shadow, his own brown ones cold. "Tell me why I should trust you."

Naruto opened his eyes, blinked, paused, and sighed before setting his cup down gently. "There are lots of reasons why you should trust me, though I'll let you decide for yourself.

I'm the Fire Shadow, legendary free-lancing bounty hunting spy-master with a perfect record; an asset to the Vongola. I can provide information, I can carry out missions, I can work on the inside and out. Few as they are, I follow my morals and honour code like a Mafioso follows the Omerta.

I'm the friend, uncle, father, brother. I raised Vongola Nono from a boy up until I had to leave because he needed to grow by himself. I trained him alongside Vongola Ottavo, I saw him when he was at his weakest, when he was at his highest, I know him better than anyone other than his Guardians.

I'm Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto; the guy who should've died a long time ago but didn't, and lived through too much because of that."

The Italian stared uncomprehendingly for a moment, before making to interrupt. "W-" A held-up hand stopped him.

Blue bored into brown. "I've told you. Take it as you will, but regardless of your station, your status, whatever, if you reveal any of this and betray who you are, I _will_ find you, hunt you down, and kill you myself."

Both of them lapsed into silence; Iemitsu mulling over what he'd been told, pulling it apart and shoving it together again in a million and one ways that was required of the CEDEF Head, looking at it from every aspect and angle. Naruto on the other hand, fell back into old memories of a time long gone by.

_Baa-chan…Ero-sennin…Jiji…Yamato-taichou…Tenten…Lee…Neji…Ino…Shino…Kiba…Chouji…Shikamaru… Sai…Kakashi-sensei…Sakura…Hinata-chan…minna…_

The man looked outside to the vast blue sky, mountainous white clouds drifting aimlessly with the sun shining down on a constantly shifting world moving through the river of time.

On the streets, people walked, strolled, jumped, skipped, ran, spun and danced to and fro, crowds jumbling and swaying. Businessmen, teachers, students, teenagers, children, mothers, fathers, construction workers, cooks, police-men, volunteer workers, people from all over and all sides of the divide. Birds burst from their perches, flying and diving through the sky.

It was just like the old Konoha.

Sighing again, centuries of memories flitted through his mind. How Time had passed him by. While he was aware of how many would kill for his long-lifespan, power, and connections, sometimes Naruto wished he'd just died along with the rest of his friends and family all those years ago. It was tiring, continuously having to walk on, head-up, leaving the rest of his world and life to die over and over, time and time again.

He sat up properly, startling the other as a rueful smile crossed his face and he looked down at his cup.

"Ah. The coffee's gone cold."

_What would you guys think of me as I am now?_

* * *

**I'm sticking with CEDEF's tradition of members' being named after herbs. Anise is a herb. Guess whose mum she is?**

**With school's start, it's going to get harder to update. I'll do my best and hope that I won't disappoint everyone. Hopefully, the next chapter will be out in a week or so.**

**Next time; more Mafia Families, and _maybe_ the Arcobaleno. Maybe.**

**7**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey people. It's been a day over my supposed deadline, but school, research for this, future chapters and real life got in the way. Oh well.**

**On another note, we've hit more than 12,000 hits in less than a month. Around 3,000 in a week. That's seriously amazing. I love you all.**

**...in a platonic fashion.**

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***COUGH, HACK, DIES. IS REVIVED.**stares* The list...it is GROWING! Apologies if I mentioned anyone more than once or whatnot; there really are a lot of you. I might have to stop these notes soon because they're taking up too much of the word count. **

**Onwards, to Chapter Nine!**

**Disclaimer- Don't own. By Muffin, all of these mangas are flipping a shit. Does Kishi secretly read fanfiction? Is Amano doing fanservice? We will never know. Beware for spoilers in the bottom AN.**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Nine

Naruto parted with Iemitsu on good terms at best, civil ones at worse later that week.

In the dark of the night, he returned to his headquarters in Northern Italy that was spaced out underground below the Venetian Lagoon, spanning several square kilometres. It'd been built by himself in the Middle Ages; one of the many during that time all around Europe. Reasons for it was that the constant power shifts made it necessary to have stations around the continent in case he needed to get heavily involved, not to mention that Venice itself had been a major commercial hub back then which only added to the pros of having a base there.

And the matter that several Bijuu hung around the area at times contributed to his decision as well, considering he had to watch over them and make sure that no one noticed the giant cumulations of living chakra.

The Venetian HQ was actually a series of interconnected bases underneath several main islands that made up Venice, and a few on the mainland, though most of the newer sections and technology had only been added relatively recently during the First and Second World Wars for his own convenience. For example, several entrances and exits leading into the subterranean Venetian sewers and canals and several into safe-houses around the islands.

Building it had been a pain, even for him considering he had to excavate _tons_ of earth dozens, if not _hundreds_ of metres underground, by _himself_, without people noticing. Not to mention, stabilize all of the bases by himself along with the issues of flooring, plumbing and wiring (which been even more of a pain because they didn't _bloody_ have the materials he needed, and so had to fashion himself, à la trial and error), furnishing and so on.

The blond had never been so grateful for Fuuinjutsu and Elemental Ninjutsu.

By the time he'd finished, he'd almost exhausted himself of his chakra reserves and mental energy, causing himself to pass out (not faint, because he was much too manly for that) for several days. When he awoke, the shinobi had found out that the heavy duty work had caused his chakra reserves to grow, the effect rather similar to muscle-building; the more it was exercised, the more it grew.

Every time he exerted himself so forcefully, the same thing would happen.

Hence his monstrously large chakra reserves that would've made those of the old Kage look like a newborn's in comparison.

Activating his father's seal – the Hiraishin, one of _many_ seals he had all over the world, Naruto disappeared from a dead-end alleyway in the backstreets of Milan to reappear almost three hundred kilometres away in his office at North Italian HQ.

With a blur of colour, a simply furnished and familiar office greeted his eyes, along with a clone who was filing some papers.

"Yo," called out the Fire Shadow nonchalantly as he strode over to his desk and plopped down in a comfortable yet professional leather chair.

Apart from the large, steel cabinets and bookshelves which were keyed into looping, swirling seals inscribed on the wall attuned to his chakra- designed to look like a uniquely drawn mural, several potted plants and decorative scrolls were the only other things in the room. This was to minimize the chances of anyone potentially getting in and stealing or destroying precious objects or information in addition to the top-notch security in the base, around the base and outside the base. The cabinets were also keyed to a seal on his person should the mural-seal ever be destroyed so he would still have access to his resources.

"S'up Boss?" returned the clone in a similar tone of voice.

Leaning back, he spun around idly. "Report."

"The newest groups of recruits have been deployed to various countries in Central America; it took us awhile because of the unstable political situation over there from the remnants of several incidents of war and countries gaining independence. We had to wait until the focus on it died down enough that there wasn't any of the military stationed everywhere." The sound of cabinet doors clicking open and shut sounded as the clone continued. "There hasn't been much news from those in Africa yet; the same goes for Australia. Gangs in America have been hunted down by the authorities for the most part, so they've been lying low for a few months at least now. Asia's groups have been carrying on like they have for the most part since the last World War, though some have turned more legal and others have been hunted down or disbanded."

Naruto stopped spinning, face pensive as he motioned towards the clone who watched him. "What about our infiltration of the smaller Famiglia around the world and their territory?"

Documents were shuffled and organized as the living, breathing, bleeding chakra construct hummed idly; a mirror copy of its creator. "Well, most of the brotherhood has gotten into their designated targets' Famiglia, though those of the Cavallone, Bovino, Giegue, and Estraneo are taking time."

That wasn't very surprising. Considering the Cavallone was one of the largest Famiglia, there had to be a reason for that, and it would be efficiency at their jobs. It was doubtful that they'd just let slip any enemy spies or assassins into their Famiglia because of incompetence. Not to mention that being allied with the Vongola, who would never ally themselves with a single useless Famiglia.

The same went for the Giegue; the Gravediggers of Russia. They were probably even more brutal than the Cavallone as many thought them 'good', in Mafia terms, so slipping even a clone in would be tough. At the very least, they deserved their credit as one of the most feared Famiglia. Having every single member of the Famiglia as capable assassins in their own right, especially with their trademark kill-fashion of burying their victims alive was seriously hardcore.

The Bovino were a rather weak family in terms of power overall, but their development in the arms race made up for that. High-end technology was probably what made it so hard to infiltrate their family; you needed to pass all of the background checks, constant surveillance, and have a ridiculous amount of knowledge in engineering, mechanics, and other science-related subjects to even be considered allowed to get in.

Finally, the Estraneo. A scowl planted itself firmly on both creator and clone's faces as they thought of the Famiglia. The Bovino played with physics, the Estraneo played with life, and frankly, it reminded the shinobi of Orochimaru too much for his liking. The Vendice hadn't called them out on it yet, but it would only be a matter of time. And when the time came, they would be destroyed.

"Call off those on the Cavallone and Giegue." ordered the blond. "I have a meeting with the Cavallone later on and we don't need to lose any men to the Giegue."

The clone nodded easily. "Then I'll tell the rest of them. The new Roots that we've picked up haven't been assigned any of the scouting or infiltration missions yet, so it makes things a bit easier."

Bringing his hands into the seal to release the chakra holding him together, the clone was stopped by his creator holding up a hand. "It does. And get me some aspirin before you do that."

As he left the room, a mumble was heard from the irritated chakra construct. "Wuss. Can't take a little pain."

"Sunuvabitch!" Seconds later, a migraine the size of Asia hit the swearing shinobi as he fell out of his chair ungracefully with a thud.

"Goddamned rebellious clones!"

* * *

**Okay, so this is sort of filler. And short. And crappy *sobbu*. I'm still alive though, so hurray.**

**But it's also showing exactly what the hell Naruto's been doing and some more of his skills and brains. Not to mention who doesn't want a BA HQ under Venice?**

**The Brotherhood refers to Naruto and his clones, for reasons that should be self-explanatory, and the Roots are people who've sworn allegiance to the Network and Naruto for their own reasons, personal or otherwise. Hope that clears it up. And yes, it's named after 'Ne' which Danzo created. It sort of does make sense in a way, so I thought it was appropriate, though of course Naruto doesn't force people to join or seal them because that's not how he works.**

**Hopefully that little tidbit in the middle was Historically Accurate. Otherwise, don't hesitate to PM me about it; I'll get to fixing it.**

**The next chapter is already in the works, so it should also be out in a week or so. Though I promise we will be seeing the Cavallone next time; just doing my research to make my plans plausible. Which means chibi!Dino. Drool fangirls. Or...just fangirl, that works too.**

_**!SPOILERS!**_

_Holy crap, Naruto and KHR have just flipped some serious shiz._

_ We see who Tobi really is, though it is sort of odd *cough, STRANGE AS HECK, cough* to know that he's going to screw over the world after near-killing his sensei and his wife plus half of Konoha for Rin dying. How in the world did he get those power ups though; honestly. After reading several forums I have to agree with some of the people there; this is really crazy. Hopefully Kishi won't up and pull something half-baked to make up for it. Though I suppose it's sort of sweet in a seriously twisted way that Obito's doing this for Rin. :/_

_KHR; Is that fanservice I see there, slogging through Tumblr posts and squinting? Plus; Tsuna + HDW Mode + Seeing Friends bleeding on ground = Seriously pissed and BAMF Tsuna. Kick Jager's a** bro._

_**!END!**_

**Oh, BTW, keep an eye out just in case I ever get around to publishing some KHR xover one-shots/series; I've been working on them for a while. That's all I'll say...**

**Wellp. That's it for now. See you.**

**7**


	11. Chapter 11

**Over 14,000 hits and counting~**

**Plus 54 reviews, 4 C2's, 111 favs, 131 follows. ;D**

**Awesome. So much that I sat myself down today, and wrote the second half of this all throughout the day. Another update in four days. I'm amazed.**

**My spoiler rant (inspired by NeoRyu777's rants in his Bleach story 'A Protector's Pride) is apparently becoming a chapterly thing. **

**I'm aware that 'Chapterly' is not a word. Beware the spoilers below.**

_**THE MOB HAS SPOKEN. THIS FIC SHALL BE UPDATED EVERY WEEK OR SO WITH GRADUALLY GROWING CHAPTERS. THIS POLE IS NOW CLOSED.**_

_**41 voters in total; 20 for weekly, 15 for every 2-3 days, and 6 for daily. **_

_**I THANK ALL WHO VOTED AND APOLOGIZE TO THOSE WHO WERE DISAPPOINTED BY THE RESULTS.**_

_**I HAVE A NEW POLL ON MY PROFILE; NOTE, VOTES WILL NOT DICTATE THE STORY LINE. I AM MERELY CURIOUS.**_

_VOTE DAMN YOU._

**Chapter Ten lovelies.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own. Honestly, I just...don't. IDEK what the heck is going on anymore, but that's okay. I'm crazy anyways. No, that doesn't need to make sense.**

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Ten

A day later, Naruto had recovered enough from the childish rebellion of his clone to plan the meeting with the Cavallone's Boss from his natural Uzumaki genes and being the Guardian of the Bijuu which created a link between him and the forces of nature. Speeding through his base's tunnels in his formal Fire Shadow attire which consisted of a finely made black suit with an orange dress shirt underneath and a black tie over top and his usual combat boots, he gave silent thanks to every deity that existed for small miracles in his clothes.

All had been made for formal occasions while still permitting him full range of movement, as well as being impervious to heat, cold, small amounts of fire, and stains. It was perfect for his kind, whose jobs could go south at any moment. Plus there was orange.

Quietly fuming at the fact that he couldn't do anything to any of his clones since he needed them for their jobs in and out of the base, would have days, if not weeks of memory feedback, and the pain of whatever he did to off the clones, the blond left the base via another of his Hiraishin seals

Maybe he'd still just do it for the stress relief then; it wasn't like he was a stranger to pain. Some would even call him a masochist.

But that was a story for another time.

Appearing on the surface in one of the few safe-houses located around the many islands of Venice, the blond casually made the seals for the Meisaigakure no Jutsu as he slipped out a window. By the time he landed on the ground silently, his presence had all but vanished with the exception of the slight distortion around his build. That was easily remedied by slipping into the shadows of the various buildings or simply traveling on top of them. Civilians never had much of a reason to be paranoid or look upwards with purpose after all.

And no, it was not overkill. He was merely doing his shinobi roots justice.

A faint burst of chakra along alerted him to his most recently made clone dispersing, a few hours' worth of memories appearing in the fore-front of his mind. Sifting through them with ease as he navigated the sinking city, he pulled the required information up and set his new destination.

_Trento, Trentino, Italy hmm?_

_._

_._

Arriving earlier to his host's territory as standard Mafia Code dictated, Naruto had stopped at the fringes of the North Italy HQ of the Cavallone Famiglia-located about an hour east of the city of Trento in a stretch of forest and mountains- later that day. Sharp blue eyes scanned the area before five hand-seals were formed in quick succession. Hand slamming down on the ground, blood welled up and sunk into the earth where a cut had been made.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A sealing array spread outwards from under his hand, a plume of smoke erupting before him. Simply using his mastery over the wind, he willed the air to disperse the cloud, greeting the form within with a smile in his words. "Greetings, Hitomi."

Piercing eyes of silver-gold speckled black stared for a heartbeat analytically. Finally blinking, their owner dipped their head in respect. "Sennin. How may I help you today?"

Huffing, annoyed, the blond stared back for a moment at the larger-than-average tawny coloured hawk whose feathers glowed in the sun. Straying from the topic momentarily, he asked, "How many times have I told all of you to just call me Naruto?"

"Countless times Sennin, and all of the Summoning Realm and the Age Before shall do so and continue to do so until the end of our days and time itself." The bird replied smoothly, light if professional female voice never wavering. "Now how may I help you today?"

The Second Incarnation of the Sage of Six Paths merely sighed before pulling a formal-looking scroll from a pocket. "I need you to bring this to the Boss of the Cavallone Famiglia if that's alright."

Nodding sharply, Hitomi grasped the message carefully. Being one of the older hawks despite her size, she didn't need any fancy bag or whatnot to carry cargo, her powerful talons usually more than enough. "I shall drop this with one of the lower-humans then?"

"Yeah, the underlings will bring it to him. Just wait for a reply before returning, unless they take too long. Then feel free to return to the Summoning Realm once you're out of sight." affirmed the shinobi. "And don't scare anyone by talking like you did last time."

It was the hawk who huffed this time. "They were insulting you Sennin. I had to defend your honour."

"There'll always be someone who hates my guts and I can defend myself just fine. Besides, I'm a shinobi. I don't really have honour."

"You are different." insisted Hitomi stubbornly, unrelenting.

"I am. I'm awesome. But some people just don't get that." came the mock serious reply. "And you should probably go now."

A roll of her eyes was the Summoning Animal's answer. "As you command Sennin."

Spreading her wings and a flap, the hawk was up in the air, disappearing from sight within seconds. Naruto watched the skies for a minute before shaking his head and heading down to a nearby town to hopefully find a place to stay for the night.

"Cheeky summons."

.

.

The Ninth Cavallone Boss was a reasonable man in his mid-thirties with the name of Ciro Cavallone. With a head of combed brown hair, dark eyes, serious face, and a rather leanly-muscular body hidden under an expensive suit, he looked the classic case of a Mafia Boss.

Luckily, his wife-Rosanna Acquarone-balanced him out rather well with strawberry-blonde hair, blue-grey eyes and a smile that reminded him of Tenten- kind and a tad bit mischievous during training, but deadly when provoked. Even more so when he caught her absent mindedly playing with the cutlery beside her plate during the lunch he'd been invited to.

Even better was the fact that due to the Cavallone Famiglia's way of running things had coincided with his own ideas better than previously thought, so by the end of the day, he and those at the top of the ladder were already more than acquainted. Obviously, they still had a long way to go considering they were involved in the Underworld, but it was probably more than what it could've been had he been another person.

It was also here that he met the couple's only child; Dino Cavallone.

They'd been talking in a lounge room when several loud thumps had sounded out in the hallway, followed by the worried calls of several maids when the doors flew open and in tripped a seven-year old boy. A head of unruly, dirty blond hair greeted them as the boy lay there in pain on the ground.

Looking up after a few moments, brown eyes widened as the child took in the image of his parents staring at him with a mixture of exasperation and fondness (his father), smiling amusedly (his mother) and a stranger observing him casually. Apparently the importance of the situation dawned on him because he paled slightly and scrambled to his feet. "Mamma, Padre, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trip, the carpet was just there and pleasedon'tpunishme!"

Ciro sighed, "Dino, how many times have we told you to be careful, _and_ to knock before entering rooms? The people inside could be having important discussions; manners and etiquette are things that Mafia Bosses are required to have!" Turning to his guest, the man bowed his head. "I apologize for my son Fire Shadow; he is not yet mature. I hope this will not affect our relationship in any way."

Instantly the panic disappeared, replaced by a determined fire burning in those brown eyes as the boy retorted hotly, stranger all but forgotten in the moment. "I told you, I'm not becoming a Mafia Boss! I never have and never will!" Then the boy blanched completely as the second part of his father's words registered, turning to look at the smiling blond man. "Fire Shadow?"

Despite his words, it was evident that the boy- Dino- knew of the Mafia, and knew of events and people in the Mafia.

"Do not worry Signore Cavallone, children will be children. This won't affect our relationship at all." Naruto quirked an understanding grin towards the faintly relieved-looking man before cocking his head towards the child. "Hello there. What's your name?"

Rosanna made to move to introduce her son before the boy seemed to swallow his nervousness and fear, staring straight into silently judging blue eyes with wide but determined brown. "I-I'm Dino Cavallone Signore Fire Shadow. I-It's a pleasure to meet you."

The shinobi smiled in a laidback manner. "It's good to meet you too- may I call you Dino? What do you need?"

Both parents shared a quietly confused look as they watched the legendary free-lancing bounty-hunter and spy master interact with their son who blinked, quivering slightly. "Um, sure. Well, I-I was going to ask Padre if I could go to the city since I finished my studies…"

"Then go ahead and talk to them. Just be careful in the future Dino; most people won't be as happy if you disturb their meetings." The blond gestured to the boy's parents. "And don't stutter. You're grown up aren't you?"

Also confused but relieved, the boy took the words to heart, apologizing again.

In the depths of his mind, young Dino thought to himself that the Fire Shadow seemed like a pretty cool guy for someone in the Mafia and Underworld. Somewhere, a thought wandered; perhaps the Mafia wasn't necessarily as bad as it seemed and that maybe things could be made better.

A seed had been planted.

* * *

**YES, I gave Naruto the capabilities to summon ANY creature from the Summoning Realm. And they all worship him.**

**WHO GETS WHY I GAVE NARUTO HAWKS IN THIS CHAPTER? **

_Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Canon Technique)- Chameleon Jutsu: This jutsu once used erases the shadow, scent, and sight of the user, though if one looks close enough or has a Dojutsu, it's rendered useless due to the slight distortion in the air around the user or the sound that the user makes. As such, it is ideal for stealth operations, along with both defensive and offensive maneuvers. Masters of the Jutsu can even erase their chakra signatures. _

_**!SPOILERS!**_

_I honestly don't know how these Mangaka's are cooking up this crazy crack anymore. But then again, they do say that all artists and writers are a wee bit crazy..._

_Naruto...Apparently Madara DID survive long enough to save Obito somehow...And then - wait but they were in Limbo. Gah, spiritual concepts are too confusing once mixed in with chakra... and shinobi._

_KHR... I fell out of my chair first time I saw Bermuda's face at night when my imagination and paranoia levels were through the roof. Then I got up and laughed because...it was squished. And looked like a mix of a kid, a frog, and a cat somehow. But again; WHY YOU STAB/SLASH/MAIM PEOPLE SO BAD JAGER? AT LEAST TSUNA BE FIRING HIS LAZAH AT YOU *SPAZZ*. Wait for next chapter is driving me crazzzaaaaaayyyy. Even more so._

_**!END!**_

**Next chapter- More Chibi!Dino (cue squealing from fangirls), some filler crap, maybe the Varia, and then...THE MAFIA BALL.**

**DUN DUN DUNNNN-/shot**

**_PS-IF ANYONE IS WILLING TO BETA THIS, I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER._  
**

**THAT'S ALL FOR NOW LOVELIES. GOODBYE.**

**7**


	12. Chapter 12

**Greetings. Really sorry for the lateness of this chapter, for which I'll only say that you need not punish me because many hours of sleep were lost in the last...eleven days. **

**But on another account, lovely reception; ****61 reviews, 128 favs, 143 follows, 4 communities, 17,777 hits**** and three new betas. I'm amazed, and thank you all.**

**Just a note- I'll be creating OC's here and there like you saw in the last chapter, but very few of will play a large role in the story, so worry not.**

**Another LAST note; the poll results have been quiiiite interesting- RinneganSageofSixPaths!Naruto is leading with Rinnegan/All-Elemental-Kekkei-Genkai!Naruto and All of the above *which includes said two and reincarnations of Konoha and other characters who regain their memories to participate actively in the story* Trololol close behind. **

**Keep in mind, these are just things I'm curious about and does not mean that if you win, I'll necessarily do it. **

**...That's about it methinks. Now give your new betas Keeper of Harmony, FubukiFang, and ExileWrath some thanks for their work in shaping this story. :)**

**Disclaimer- Why you mock me so? Really? I don't own it...**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Eleven

Discussions between the Cavallone and Naruto continued into the next day; a rare occurrence in the Mafia world where people you thought trustworthy were liable to stab you in the back with a smile on their faces for some cash. It proved ultimately worth it, as relations were built quickly, though the shinobi deemed it much too early to even think of giving them real personal information on himself.

Unfair, but that was life. That wasn't even going into the matter that the blond's long history was filled with information that could shake the world's beliefs, and that just wasn't worth it yet. History and Time had taught him that much.

Now though, the man was strolling through the halls of the Trentino Cavallone base after having slipped out of the lounge that he usually spent his time in, chatting and discussing issues with the Boss and his wife. They'd decided a short break was in order; the couple had to check in on their work, leaving Naruto to wander the grounds relatively freely as he so wished. A very kind gesture in their world, though they proved that they weren't just being careless by discreetly posting more guards and sentries around the base, some even disguised as normal maids and butlers and the like.

It was like this, wandering aimlessly and drifting down corridors like some sort of living ghost that the blond made his way outside into the grand garden behind the base.

Right in front was a large pale gray-white fountain that sprayed a glittering jet of water from the tip of the gun wielded by a carving of a horse-rider in formal dress- the First Cavallone Boss. Numerous flowers bloomed from their positions on various trees and bushes all planted in orderly, eye-pleasing formations, all trimmed and maintained beautifully most presumably by the Famiglia's gardeners behind and around the mini clearing around the fountain. Even further was the border where the forest started after a grassy field with a large pond before it.

It was also here, meandering between sweet-smelling rose bushes that he discovered a mud covered seven year old Dino Cavallone sitting on the ground in the small space that was created between a thick bush and a large tree.

Stopping, he crouched down to peer at the boy. "Hey. What's wrong?"

So engrossed in his own thoughts, the dirty-blond haired child jolted; deer-in-the-headlights look on his face as the lean build of the Fire Shadow appeared in his vision and almost toppled over backwards into the flora. "Signore Fire Shadow! W-what are you doing here?"

A snort escaped the shinobi as he eyed the other casually; mind automatically picking out details and analyzing them from lifetimes of habit. "I could ask the same of you kid. And you don't have to call me that; it makes me feel too old."

"Then what do I call you?"

Naruto blinked momentarily, before simply saying, "N. Call me N."

Brown eyes squinted, "Is that the first letter of your real name?"

"Maybe kid. Who knows, maybe I'll tell you that one day. For now, keep it a secret." A smirk crossed the blond's face.

Dino stared before shrugging. "Okay then."

"Not going to complain about how it's not fair?" The question came, unsurprised with a mild dose of curiosity.

The dirty-blond haired boy's face darkened slightly. "Life isn't fair. Otherwise I wouldn't have to become a Mafia Boss."

"I thought you weren't." There wasn't any judgment or any malicious tone in the almost rhetorical question and blue eyes held no deceit, only patience and willingness to listen.

It seemed that that was what it took for the boy to spill his unspoken thoughts that he never could talk about in front of his family and staff. "I never wanted to, I don't want to, but…" Small, hunched shoulders tensed. "Sometimes not wanting to isn't enough. I've already heard my Mamma and Padre saying that they would be getting me a tutor to teach me when I'm older."

"What will you do then?"

"I-I'll still fight. I said before that I didn't want to and that I wanted to live a normal life, but even if I had to, I'm going to prove that I'm doing this because I have to. But if I have to become a Boss- w-when I become a B-Boss, I'll try to do it different than my parents." Dino declared with only a few stumbles here and there, mostly from surprise at his own boldness in speaking his own thoughts for once and that some stranger was listening to him.

Another smirk- faintly interested and approving appeared on Naruto's face as he stood up. "You do your best then because I'll be holding you up to that."

Dino nodded before blanching. "You won't tell Mamma and Padre will you?"

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. It is your goal to work towards to, so it's up to you to accomplish it no matter the obstacle. Now let's get back; there are people who are probably worrying over you." The older blond stated plainly, but not unkindly as he pulled the dirty boy up.

Slowly, they made their way back through the winding bushes of the garden with the younger tripping several times and getting his clothes snagged and torn in the bushes. Walking together in silence, Dino asked quietly, "Why did you listen?"

There was no response for a moment as the other only continued to walk forward, seemingly unresponsive, until he turned his head to look at the boy. "Everyone needs to be heard."

"Everyone?"

"From the greatest of heroes to the lowest of scum, everyone needs to be heard. Maybe it won't be nice or even civil, or in a place you'd expect or from someone you know. It hurts to not be heard, ignored, and forgotten, unacknowledged and alone. It doesn't matter if they're a stranger, or maybe just a friend, but sometimes listening is more enough."

"Oh. Thank you N."

"No problem kid."

They continued on until the younger spoke again. "…So does this mean we're friends?"

The shinobi merely smiled, "If you want to be."

"Okay then."

A few minutes and further falls later, the odd duo were making their way up the stairs to the large fortified mansion and pushing open the doors to find several flustered looking maids and butlers rushing around.

"A problem ladies and gentlemen?" Naruto asked, slipping into the rapid-fire conversation smoothly and causing several heads to turn to him.

"Signore! Have you seen the Young Master? He has been missing since just after breakfast!" demanded a worried woman, looking to be in her twenties.

Snorting, the blond craned his neck to look at the now-sheepish, dirty boy. "I was right about people being worried then. But not telling them where you disappeared? Not very smart."

A gaggle of people amassed around the child, a multitude fussing over his safety while the rest the hurried on to their duties or to inform their Bosses most likely and the Fire Shadow shook his head amusedly, watching Dino being smothered with attention.

Suddenly, a burst of chakra had him straighten imperceptibly as the memories rushed through his head and he grimaced. It seemed business called.

Tossing a grin and farewell at the boy, the blond blurred down the halls, disappearing from the view of the security cameras and giving half the team a heart attack.

In a second, he'd pinpointed the positions of Ciro and Rosanna and came to a stop once sure that there were no eyes or cameras trained on him, having placed tiny seals that'd disrupt their systems for a moment so as to ensure no one saw him. Simultaneously, each camera that had a view of his area had their electrical components scrambled, leaving him a few seconds to knock on the door and slip in after a call of acknowledgment.

Seeing his guest, the couple straightened as the Ninth Cavallone Boss greeted him. "Fire Shadow, is there a problem?"

"No, there isn't," Naruto shook his head. "But it appears that business calls. I'm afraid I'll be leaving, though I very much appreciate your hospitality. I look forward to working with the Cavallone Famiglia in the future."

"That is unfortunate, though doing business with you was pleasurable and I hope we may work together as well."

From within the depths of his jacket, the shinobi pulled out a card, handing it to Ciro. "This is my contact information; I would give you an address, but I tend to travel fast frequently, so should anything need to be arranged, then I will send you the coordinates then."

"I see. Thank you then." The dark-haired Boss nodded. "Let us escort you to the main hall."

"The gesture is appreciated but unneeded; I don't want to impose any more on you than I already have."

"Alright then, forgive us for that."

They exchanged handshakes and nods before Naruto smiled faintly. "Goodbye Signore Cavallone, Signorina Acquarone. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintances."

With a swirl of obscuring wind, the blond had disappeared.

.

.

"You felt it?"

"**I did." **

"How bad?"

"**Almost like my own chakra back then at Elite Jounin to Elite ANBU level for the weakest."**

"…Damn. I mean, I can't really say anything, but…"

"**It is impressive for a human of this day and age. Though this all started because of you."**

"It started with the Rikudou Sennin. He created the possibilities; I just accessed and built on them."

"**You cannot deny what is the truth. It all started after **_**that**_**. You cannot be blamed though either. Fully, in any case. Rikudou-ojiisan did bring about the start of everything."**

"I told you so."

"**But you are also still held partially responsible for these humans. If you do not take action, we, the Bijuu, will."**

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the Guardian of you all and the Balance between the several great powers that keep this world in balance and yadda yadda yadda."

"**You never cease to amaze me with your stupidity."**

"You never cease to annoy me with your crappy-ass comebacks. Be original! I mean you're several hundred if not thousands of years older than me and I'm probably the oldest damn guy on this planet that's alive!"

"**Foolish human. You never learn do you?"**

"Bitch, I'm Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto; I do what I want, when I want."

"**Of course brat."**

"Shut up Kurama."

"…**Be careful Naruto. Even with our power, we cannot guarantee anything in this world. In the end, we are simply players on a chessboard in the vastness of the universe."**

"Don't you get philosophical. I'm not an idiot; I won't be getting myself killed. I survived over Kami-knows how many years of life on this rock and that wasn't because I was stupid."

"**Well, I faintly remember **_**someone**_** going on about how they were going to become the greatest Hokage ever and make ramen known as the food of the gods…"**

"…Shut up Kurama."

* * *

**Harhar, yes I gave you a peek at Naruto and a Bijuu. Did I get Kurama in character? It's hard, considering he's and almighty millenia old demon with issues, but yeah. Ughh, can't wait to hit canon to send you all for loops with my twists...Argh.**

**Who can guess who they're referring to in this last bit? If you do, I'll gift you with a one-shot...Though the last few challenges seem to have dropped flat. Oh well. Cartoon quote challenge was from World of Quest and reason I gave hawks was remembrance for Sasuke...Bet no one got that. *goes to grow mushrooms***

**_!SPOILERS!_**

_... I don't even know anymore. Naruto is just...really convoluted right now, so I'm not going to say anything._

_On another hand, how many of you squeed at Reborn's adult form appearing? I bet half of you. But honestly Tsuna, even in HDWM you can't tell? Y U SO DENSE? Oh well, at least we'll have a good next chapter to look forward to, though WHY ISN'T ANYONE GETTING MEDICAL AID FOR EVERYONE WHO GOT STABBED?_

_...I'm going to just die now..._

_**!END!**  
_

**I'm also wondering if any of you people even read my profile so I'll occasionally be posting future story ideas here in case anyone is interested for me to start one. Just include it in your review. ****This week-**

_Snap, Shatter, Scatter-_

_That's the sound of someone's sanity breaking._

_Sawada Ieyasu, formerly known as Giotto Vongola, founder and First Boss of the world-known Vongola Famiglia. Cool, suave, and smart, not to mention kind and caring. But he didn't expect to be stuck in a ring for the rest of eternity after dying. Unfortunately for him, neither did his rather irate successors. And in a ring, there is only so much to do before chaos and insanity start turning up. Partial Crack, drabble length chapters. Has First Gen., Ninth and Tenth Gen. plus all the Bosses._

**...AND WE'RE GOOD. BTW, Person who gives me good Arc name for this time gets ONE-SHOT.**_  
_

**Next chapter- Mafia Ball. Time for some chaos.**

_AND VOTE ON MY POLL DAMMIT._**  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Heyyy; I'm back. GASP!**

**I've been rattling statistics far too much and doubt any of you care so I'll save that for every 5 chapters or so. Also, please vote on my poll if you haven't already. **

**Another thing; the names of my wonderful ****followers**** *cough,****minions****,cough* have grown to be a tad much, so I apologize as I will not be listing them anymore. Though I love you all the same. :)**

**That's it here I think. Chapter Twelve then.**

**Disclaimer- Sadly I don't own KHR or Naruto even in my dreams. Though I have dreamed about KHR. No, I'm not a creeper.**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Twelve

_Six Months Later that Year_

Fading golden sunlight streamed through tall glass windows, illuminating the rushing figures of dozens of maids and butlers as they hurried to finish their given tasks. All of it was in preparation for the Annual Mafia Ball the Vongola Famiglia was hosting on top of their 400th Anniversary of the group's creation by Vongola Primo and his Guardians. Hence all of the Vongola Castle's employed staff restoring it to its near-original glory with new, priceless furniture and scrubbing the building down to the point one could eat their meal clean off the floor with no problems.

Of course, there was the finest of all china to serve the guests, a single fork- forget a plate- capable of selling for enough money to feed a small African village for a month.

To outsiders, it was simply another subtly flashy way of showing the Vongola Famiglia's power in the Underworld and above it, along with its wealth and influence. But to the highest echelons of the Vongola, it was also a power play in announcing their new alliance with the Fire Shadow, confirming the spreading rumours.

It was here, in the Boss' office, where he and his Guardians were gathered along with his External Advisor and World's Greatest Hitman who would be accompanying him.

"So," began the man, attired in a fitting, dark suit, sitting at his desk. "it has been decided. The Fire Shadow will be arriving later on during the event for the most amount of attention, and it then that the Vongola and her allies will gather to validate the existence of the alliance between us. Even more, he will be arriving in his original face, no masks, not that the other Famiglia will know it with how often he changes his look. Everyone knows their parts yes?"

Nods of confirmation answered him and a smile crossed weary features. Standing up, he met each of the room's occupants' eyes.

"Let us be off."

.

.

Hours later, the event had kicked off and gone into full swing with Mafia Famiglia and notable Underworld parties scattered across the grandiose castle, drinks in hand and chatting civilly if not amiably with other party-goers.

Servants weaved through the throng of people, looking professional as they offered guests alcohol and food, an excellent orchestra playing down at the end of the ballroom. Dark-suited men with headsets were stationed casually around the room itself, along with key points in the building and outside of it while Security stared down their screens, humming coffee machines not a metre away.

The host, his Storm and Cloud Guardians, shadowed from a distance by the World's Greatest Hitman drifted throughout the mass of formal attire. A single outfit most likely cost more than most men would make in a year, and the Vongola were no exception, greeting allies and making small talk easily from years of experience in their fancy brand name suits. There was a constant flow of people coming in as almost an hour had passed since the start of the Ball, the other Guardians having split off a while back to take their positions around.

It was then that a nondescript looking man passed by the Storm Guardian, pausing momentarily to duck down and whisper something before moving along with the ease of an expert. Coyote himself nodded before slipping through to stand right beside his Boss, mouth just moving and words spoken barely above a hiss.

"Perimeter and Head of Security have confirmed the arrival of the Fire Shadow. ETA is three minutes."

Timoteo smiled and chuckled at his conversation partner's- the Boss of a smaller Famiglia- words before ending the conversation smoothly in a way that didn't seem rude, parting with a nod with his Right-Hand Man following close behind. More calls from other influential members of the Underworld sounded out, but the three men deflected all of them easily as they made their way subtly to the front of the room.

"Ten seconds remaining…Five…Four…Three…Two…One…" Coyote muttered before the doors opened in an almost dramatic fashion.

A faint…presence, for lack of a better word, filled the air sweeping through the crowd until all eyes were on the originator of the feeling, causing more than one woman to swoon and giggle adoringly while the men tensed minutely.

Dressed in a sharp black Gucci suit with almost indistinguishable dark gray pinstripes and a similarly coloured tie with his trademark orange dress shirt underneath and polished leather shoes, he practically radiated money and power. Not to mention an alluring aura and attractive appearance to half the female population in the room with the way that the clothes accentuated his lean, fit build and exotic features, much to the despair of a good few men.

Calm blue eyes that appeared the complete opposite of what they usually looked to be to those who knew him roved over the crowd for a second before an apologetic smile was flashed at them. "I seem to have interrupted your event, ladies and gentlemen. I do apologize for that."

And with that, the quiet was broken as several younger girls fainted while the rest of the crowd made to greet the Fire Shadow as he walked down the steps of the grand staircase that joined the several levels of the room together. All movement was slowed immediately though as the Ninth Generation Boss and Guardians of the Vongola stepped forward to meet the blond.

"Fire Shadow." greeted the Boss. "The Vongola are glad that you could make this event."

"Vongola Nono, it's a pleasure to see you again." The blond stepped forward to shake hands with the man, a knowingly- amused smile on his face. "I trust that you have been well?"

"Indeed I have. Please enjoy yourself here tonight; perhaps we will talk again later." Timoteo's eyes twinkled in response, even as the polite words rang out for the unknowing crowd to hear.

"I believe I will thank you." An acknowledging nod, and they separated, leaving the blond to me mobbed by a crowd of eager Mafiosi and their daughters.

Naruto cursed inwardly.

.

.

The evening then blurred into the night when much alcohol was distributed after the announcement of the Alliance, to which those in on 'the know' predicted an increase in requests to ally with the Vongola, and the Fire Shadow.

Unfortunately, there was also the chance of a rise in enemies, but that simply couldn't be helped. While most of the guests had simply had their suspicions confirmed, there was still the general surprise and murmuring when they learned that the free-lancing Fire Shadow was actually allied-however loosely- to the Vongola, creating a powerful alliance between several old and influential groups and figures.

People relaxed- sometimes a bit too much- as they went around, especially after the feast that was prepared for everyone by the hard-working chefs. By this time, the Italian dark country-side sky was littered with glittering stars, continuing on to the end of the horizon, a full moon hanging high above the Earth and bathing everything in its pale white glow.

Inside, the soothing notes from the string section flowed through the air as people conversed idly, sometimes younger children and teens visible through the mass of adults. Outside though, on a large third-story balcony that over-shadowed a section of the back gardens, was where Naruto had made his escape from the subtly rabid crowd of men with gleaming eyes, trying to get in his good graces. But not before passing by the few bearable people he did like, such as a few with whom he'd done business with along with the Cavallone couple and Dino.

Staring up at the body of the Juubi, or so legends said, the shinobi manipulated the liquid in his glass absentmindedly, body positioned in such a way that someone approaching wouldn't see it. And just as a precaution, he'd activated a lesser used ability of his to feel a person coming long before scent and sound reached him. Such was the habit of those in the Underworld, especially a shinobi, and it served him well as he spoke, voice even to his surroundings.

"What do you need?"

"Now why would you think I need something?"

The blond rolled his eyes, voice low, "I highly doubt that you couldn't just slip away from the crowd without coming out here, where I coincidentally am at the moment."

One could almost _feel_ the smirk, "True. I am the World's Greatest Hitman."

"So arrogant."

"Justifiably." retorted the baritone voice smoothly.

"In your mind."

"In real life."

"I wonder."

"You doubt me?"

"Never." The word was almost mocking.

"You haven't made regards to yourself. I wonder why?"

It was Naruto who smirked now. "You are the World's Greatest _Hitman_."

He spoke as if that should've explained everything without continuing, ending that line of conversation and leaving the rest to the other who mulled over it in the back of his mind.

A quiet broken only by the nocturnal forest-life and party fell upon the two until the fedora –wearing hitman came up beside the Fire Shadow silently. Eyes flickering up and down the spy-master's figure once to check for weapons and the position of his hands, he found both to be in the delicate glass, alcohol sloshing about inside.

"You know that I don't need a weapon to kill someone right?"

"It never hurts now does it?"

Absent-minded nodding was his answer before the blond focused the entirety of his being on the man beside him in a way that could simply be felt from the air. "What do you want?"

"You know already don't you?"

"I'm flattered that you think I'm omnipotent, but humour me."

"…"

"Stubborn. That works too." Naruto hummed listlessly, eyes closed despite the piercing stare he felt from the suited hitman.

"Answer the question Fire Shadow." The beginnings of aggravation were slipping into the words.

"Temper," warned the shinobi, voice still rather mild. "You won't get any answers like this. But, you're worried about that mysterious employer of yours aren't you?"

The orange-banded black fedora tilted down. "…There's something not right about the way he is, it's…"

"Off? Disturbing? Secretly, quietly causing the voice in the back of your head to scream run and hide?" questioned Naruto evenly, pausing only for a moment before continuing. "As of thus far, there isn't much to tell you since there's barely anything to go on, added to the fact that there have been apparently no names or specifics pertaining to your employer yourself mentioned. Even with the best spy-network in the world, you can't find something if you don't know what you're looking for."

"…How much would you want?"

Blue eyes hardened slightly. "I wouldn't need anything."

"There's no such thing as a free lunch, as they say."

"Just give me the details of whatever you get and I'll see what I can find."

"If I agree?"

"Then I'll do whatever in my power to find this employer of yours."

Another bout of quiet befell them before the World's Greatest Hitman spoke, posture casual and tone unreadable. "So why are you doing this?''

Naruto narrowed his eyes, gaze fixed on the country-side as he spoke, dead serious. "Because they worry me too."

* * *

**Well that's the Mafia Ball. I didn't want to do a whole bunch of old men and politics when there are better things to be done- like explosions and battles! And even with the Cavallone, the fun doesn't start until Dino hits puberty... Don'tkillme.**

**Did I get Reborn's character? This _is_ quite a bit before he becomes the Reborn we know, so I'm trying to make him a bit less experienced and whatnot, so that changes along with his personality. :/**

**With only one suggestion courtesy of Deofiro (to whom I apologize for dragging things out- I am but a simple writer), this arc will be titled 'And So It Begins With the Mafia'. I have edited it a bit.**

_**!SPOILERS!**_

Waiting for the next chapter of Naruto is all I'll have to say for that...

_But snap, I killed myself laughing on Tumblr when half the fangirls cried for the fact that Tsuna wasn't in his boxers. I was honestly relieved, I mean nobody **has** to see that. Holy cheese muffins. Can't wait for the epic battle *again* in the next chapter. Though I hope KHR won't end with this arc, that'd suck. :/ DON'T DO IT AMANO. THE FANGIRLS **WILL** HUNT YOU DOWN._

_**!END!**_

**Story Idea of the week!- **_Cloud Like Harry Potter/KHR! xover-_

_Master of Death!Harry. The moment Voldemort toppled over, dead, Harry James Potter knew instinctively that his life wouldn't be the peace and quiet he'd imagined. Several months later, he's the Master of Death, fugitives with his friends who are scattered across the globe when he finds himself tumbling into the Underworld and Mafia as Skull Black, Immortal Stuntman that __even __Hell won't take and Cloud Arcobaleno. MoD!Harry-is-Skull!fic._

**I'll stop dragging this out now- too tired.**_  
_

**Next chapter- Interlude of important things that I need to confuse you with.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'M SORRY, I REALLY AM. RL IS A *****, LET'S JUST LEAVE IT THERE.**

**On another hand, this is a super-long chapter to make up for it with lots of fun foreshadowing, so forgive me?**

**Chapter Thirteen lovelies; prepare for a very looooooong AN below.**

**_OH YEAH, JUST NEED TWO MORE VOTERS _****_ FOR A NEW POLL _****_ON MY PROFILE. WHILE WE'RE AT IT, SAY WHO YOU'D WANT TO SEE REINCARNATED *AS AN OPINION*. YOU COULD STILL CHANGE MY MIND._**

**Oh, and thank thy beta-readers Keeper of Harmony. **

_**NOTE- DUE TO THE RECENT TURN OF THE MANGA, UPDATES WILL BE SLOWER AS I TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW I'M GOING TO IMPROVISE WITH WHAT I HAVE KTHNXBAI**_

**Disclaimer: ...I have nothing to say. Really. I have no idea how Amano-sensei and Kishimoto-sensei came up with this stuff.**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Thirteen

A figure darted through the darkness of the night, flitting from building to building and staying in the shadows as much as was possible. Hidden eyes scanned the streets of the sleeping city observantly before rushing forth silently in a burst of speed to a rather nondescript looking building just down the street.

Within seconds, the wooden door clicked shut softly as a dark cloak fluttered just through the entryway.

.

.

Left, right, right, straight, sharply angled turn left, through the door, into a closet, up into the vents, pop the grill of room D, sector 8, out the opening, immediate right and up the stairs, down the hall all the way, left, small blank patch of wall on the right.

A barely audible pattern was knocked against the surface before the section clicked softly, opening. Nods greeted the figure before another figure in the room turned, revealing dark blue-violet eyes set in a pale, heart-shaped face framed with blood-red hair. Wreathed in a black trench coat, combat suit underneath with combat boots completing the outfit, she looked the perfect image of a no-nonsense leader.

The figure knelt, head down. "Amongst the brethren of the Whirlpool, I am simply a drop of water in the ocean."

"Amongst the harsh winds of the Hurricane, I am simply a breeze in the sky. Welcome back to the Brotherhood Pigeon." The red-headed woman replied; face never breaking from a seriously neutral expression. "What has the Boss got for us?"

"Commander. Boss is currently roaming and hunting for the one who plays with the Tri-ni-Sette Balance and Life. He wants the Brotherhood to expand its network to narrow down crucial information, part of which will be provided to the Vongola-affiliated Hitman."

"Suspect of what?"

"It's been said that he has a mysterious employer calling him and six others for collaboration jobs. This has just started for a few months and Boss thinks it might be _him_."

The Commander's eyes widened minutely before narrowing dangerously as she spoke in a contemplating manner, "But that would mean…"

"That it's plausible that he is like us in a fashion, yes."

Expression evenly focused, the woman nodded towards another figure sitting by the wall who dipped their head in acknowledgement before slipping out of the room. Turning back, the black-wreathed Commander addressed the cloaked figure. "What else do you have for us?"

"Boss has also stated that he himself will be checking up on those infiltrating the Estraneo Famiglia and other Famiglia in the following weeks before going to consult the Nine, so he won't be back for a few months at least. Anything else will be sent by Summon most presumably."

"Alright Pigeon, thank you for your work. Did Boss give you secondary orders afterwards or no?"

"I have none. I will be going then, Commander."

"Dismissed."

Moments later, a column of smoke was all that remained of Pigeon.

.

.

A thousand kilometres away not too far from where the borders of Slovakia, Poland, and Ukraine almost intersected, Naruto touched down with a bit more force than intended, cracking the tree branch that he'd landed on. Years of experience though let him absorb the impact easily before taking all of a second to gather the energy to make the leap to the next branch, damaged flora groaning before snapping and crashing to the ground.

The blond grimaced; he should've been past that phase now. He'd spent too much time lazing around Vongola territory over the past few weeks. Time to up his training.

Sending out a pulse of chakra in a manner similar to sonar, his face calmed and he renewed his pace, pushing onward. Minutes later, he dropped from the canopy to the ground silently and looked around.

"It should be somewhere here…There it is."

In front of him was a large, round boulder the size of a truck nestled up against the end of the east end of the Tatra Mountain range spanning a good few hundred square kilometres over both Polish and Slovakian territory, surrounded by deciduous trees. It looked pretty nondescript, considering the other several dozen scattered across the landscape, other than a not-quite hollow that looked a tad too perfect to have been made naturally.

Closing his eyes, Naruto drew in the Natural Energy of the Earth that weakened day by day and released it upon deeming that there wasn't anyone close enough to break through his seal barriers that protected this area from unfortunate tourists. In a flash of the silver of a blade, blood welled up and dripped down his hand into the hollow which glowed slightly before dimming again.

With a soft grinding sound, the boulder split down the middle to roll sideways into upright positions, balanced on their rounded ends on the two sides of a newly revealed slab of perfectly cut, Doton chakra reinforced compressed and condensed mineral formerly hidden underneath, a blockade as another defence . Pressing his hand against a seal on the surface, it lit up and rumbled before sliding apart to reveal a pitch black hole.

Grinning, the shinobi freefell in, entrance sealing up again and leaving him in the dark as air rushed past him. On instinct, he twisted to land feet first, some several dozen metres underground and immediately threw himself forward to avoid the Iron Maiden-style trap that activated, spikes stabbing through the area.

The whole point to this hideaway was absolute secrecy, hence why there was no Hiraishin Seal here for easy access when instead, the closest one was in Bratislava, Slovakia's capital; some three-hundred kilometres away.

It was also rigged with several layers of defenses; first was the Sealed Boulder keyed to his blood and only his blood that blocked easy access to the entrance, which was also sealed and reinforced when technological weapons became more advanced. It'd take several hours of pounding away by general firepower and by that time, the enemy would've already been removed or base self-destructed.

Even after entering, one would have to move fast because after the several hundred metre drop was a miniature maze that was rigged for all sorts of painful ways to cause death, twisting and turning in mind-bending ways for up to a kilometre in a curious display of sealing and creative architectural design.

It'd also taken him several months to build.

After missing death by fire, electrocution, stabbing, crushing, shredding, explosion and about another dozen ways, Naruto pulled himself into a tight spiral rotation through an opening slightly larger than a manhole, narrowly escaping being pulverized by a rolling boulder. Landing in a large room littered with seals for all sorts of defenses, he let a breath of air escape him.

Cracking several joints in a smooth movement, he made his way forward through the room, bare of all furniture and effects other than two rows of Doric-order pillars that supported the total weight of the earth above the hideaway. In the centre of the room, a large diagram was drawn, surrounded by candles at key point towards the ends.

The blond made his way to the edge and summoned a large container of his own blood, pulling a complex design of flowing black ink lines on a piece of paper and from an inside pocket and placing it on the ground before him with the container on top.

Preparations done, he ran through a series of hand-seals. Upon finishing them, he cut his already healed hand again, copious amounts of blood dripping onto the container and paper as he called the name of his technique.

"Fuuinjutsu: Teihaku Chi Bunshin."

The seal activated and the glass container shattered. Blood rained down for a second before it swirled upward, spinning much like a whirlpool with streaks of differently coloured chakra- representing the different elements-mixed in until it formed an obscure human figure.

The jutsu was quite useful, if demanding in its requirements. Pros were that he got an effective second version of himself through the base Kage Bunshin no Jutsu that it was built off of, but almost literal flesh and blood, the former created from a mix of blood and Elemental chakra. Earth chakra made up most of the flesh, Water the body fluids, Fire the warmth and natural temperature regulators, Lightning the nervous system, and a mixture of Wind and Nature created the 'breath of Life'. It also had approximate Elite Jounin to Kage level chakra reserves and a simple modified storage seal could supply it with much more, enabling it to use most of his jutsu, along with one or two signature moves. This also meant it could be sent into the field for more heavy-duty work than ordinary clones.

Cons were the fact that it took a hella long time and quite a bit of resources for the preparation. The creation of the seal itself to bind chakra and blood together, stabilize, and anchor it had taken him several years of research and another several to create. Making one took him half a day as he had to do it himself because of the need to infuse it with chakra while writing it out, manipulating the energy very carefully. Creating it also took a lot of concentration. Not to mention the price of blood; as much as he healed at an almost regenerative speed, draining yourself of _seven litres _of blood _**was not fun**_.

Once again, he had to question if he was a masochist.

Another thing was that because the clone was essentially a double of himself and yet also its own person, the thought process was warped, as creator and clone were one and the same, but the clone also had a mind of its own. The process also made it so that his various character traits were amplified or diminished in the clone, along with his abilities, looks, and interests.

It was much like having a child in a sense. Which was rather disturbing, considering he was male.

And that one time where that one clone had rather…._curious_ interests.

(Deep down inside, he shuddered as he remembered his creation.)

He'd speculated many a time if he'd accidentally incorporated the Henge in it the first time he created it. This time, the clone was a male of slightly above-average height and lightly muscled. Dark blue eyes set in a Eurasian face above a straight nose and just-frowning mouth inspected his creator, head full of slightly flipped, spiky dark brown-black hair and bangs falling into his eyes.

A bead of sweat slid down the side of Naruto's face as he inspected the rapidly solidifying clone detachedly.

No deformations, seemingly stable, dressed in a navy long sleeve with a black army jacket overtop, smoke-gray cargo pants and survival boots. All in all, not too bad.

"Name?"

"Wolf."

"You know your job?"

"Act as extension of the Brotherhood Command chain under Commander, mission-name Tiger. Duties include organizing strategic operations in regards to infiltration of Estraneo Famiglia amongst others, as well as serving as commanding-field-officer in regards to any operation required amongst the Brotherhood."

"Exactly. Report back in two weeks."

"Yessir."

In a pulse of chakra and flash of flame, the code-named Wolf disappeared.

.

.

_Some Time Later that Year_

"-and that will be all. Remember; the Vendice are becoming suspicious, so stay alert. It is not our fault that they can not comprehend the thirst for knowledge that calls to us. That will be all."

The gathered men and women dressed in white lab jackets quickly dispersed, folders and papers tucked away neatly and efficiently into briefcases before exiting the room. Their situation and station amongst the Mafia world had started to become turbulent as of late, rumours of their work and experiments leaking out to others and leading to a severe power shift in regards to their Famiglia.

As a result, the heads were conducting a series of large-scale-but by no means lax-sweeps on each person's identity, background, and so on. It wasn't something that was normal, but not unusual either. These sorts of things had been growing in occurrence for the past few years now, and everyone had adjusted to it.

An average looking man with relatively flat-lying brown hair and glasses quickly packed up his belongings as several other scientists and researchers approached him.

"Alessandro," one of them called.

Turning around, the man started slightly, causing his glasses to slide down his nose before he adjusted them again. "Yes? Do you need something?"

"No, a few of us were just planning on going out for a cup of coffee. We were wondering if you wanted to come."

"But didn't the higher-ups order us to stay put? Not to mention the fact that we have coffee here as well." Alessandro frowned.

"The higher-ups should realize that things won't always go their way and that the coffee here tastes like dirt mixed with crushed beetles." another replied dryly, "And we've run several systems checks already; the chance of another Famiglia moving in on this territory is close to zero percent. Nothing will happen."

"I'm sorry, but I still have work to do. Perhaps some other time?" offered the researcher apologetically.

"It's alright; we understand that your station isn't very stable considering you've only joined us for a few months. But take a break sometime will you? You'll collapse otherwise."

Alessandro nodded, smiling, "I will, thank you. You go enjoy yourselves for a while, I have to go now."

Conversation terminated, the brunet exited the room at a casual pace-not too fast and not too slow- dodging others in the hall, greeting some curtly. Passing by the labs deliberately to deliver some papers at a time when he knew the scientists there were working with rather volatile energy, he let loose his own power while walking out the door, causing it to react.

During the ensuing chaos, the researcher made the preparations he needed, glancing around in a thoughtful manner afterwards while rifling through notes to play it up on the cameras. Everyone knew that while the workers could all interact, nobody was to interfere directly in an experiment that they weren't assigned to for fear of messing it up. Hence, with his slightly more introverted than extroverted personality, nobody would think it strange of him ignoring the madness behind him.

Walking along, the brunet pulled out a tablet- a new piece of recently developed technology that functioned much like a portable computer screen with all the uses of a computer. It was at least a decade before anything like it would be created by the rest of the world, but such was the benefits of being Mafia and having Flames.

Charging it up, a 'ping' sounded and it lit up. Taking advantage of feeding it the energy, he also used it to mess with the monitoring technology in the walls of the base very discreetly. With the amount of damage that he'd caused, it was unlikely that anyone would notice his actions of the following few hours.

Upon reaching his own room, Alessandro stepped though, closing the door carefully before going around the room, deactivating the cameras installed in the space. Scientific as they were, they still understood the need for privacy at times, even if they thought it unnecessary.

Once assured that he was truly alone and unmonitored, he motioned to the side where a carbon copy of himself slowly appeared, though dressed in a dark civilian outfit rather than the customary lab coat and plain shirt-shoes-pants combo.

"No one saw you?"

The copy scoffed a bit, "I'm you. What do you think?"

The first deadpanned. "I'm not quite sure considering I've almost killed myself discreetly three times this week."

"Shut up."

"Just do your job will you?"

"Fine, fine. So touchy."

A tiny pulse of chakra later, the clone had disappeared. Alessandro heaved a sigh and flopped onto his bed tiredly.

"Boss better appreciate this."

.

.

Not even an hour's drive away and even less as the crow flies, the clone had slipped into the township or _comune _of Monteverde. It was a quiet little place off to the side of Monte Vulture- an extinct volcano situated in the southern region of Italy that was Basilicata which could be considered the arch of the foot if one considered the country as its boot-shape, just north of the region's capital Potenza.

Casually meandering through the streets, drawing some curious looks from habitants who usually did not receive many visitors to their area, dark brown eyes spotted a decent looking little café just off to the side and ducked in.

Inside, soft jazz music drifted through the air and a few midday customers chatted idly in some stalls. The whole café had a rather homely feeling to it, decorated in tones of cream and brown, simple but comfortable.

An earthly looking black-haired, olive-skinned girl smiled at him as he looked around. "Hello and welcome to Felicita's Café, how may I serve you today?"

"Just an espresso please." the clone requested casually, pulling out several bills that he'd pilfered from his creator. It'd been a lesson hard-learned to learn to bring money everywhere, and one they'd never forget.

Moments later, he was taking his first sip of strong, black Italian coffee, money paid and receipt in pocket when another man walked in and also ordered a drink.

Passing by each other, their eyes met for a second before the brunet looked away, stepping out of the building. Strolling down the street, he waited just a bit before the man from the café caught up to him with ground-eating strides.

"Do you know who the king of the jungle is?" enquired the former.

"You mean the queen." the second- a black-brown haired Eurasian man with dark blue eyes replied meaningfully. "It's the tiger."

"Some would argue that."

"They would. But I'm not here for that."

"What are you here for?"

"I'm looking for a little birdy."

"A fox are you?"

"Wolf actually."

Turning a street corner, the duo made their way to the fringes of the township where there were less if any people on the streets, looking for everything like a pair of co-workers of friends out for a walk.

"How's the infiltration?" asked Wolf, switching to a less-known dialect from the North of the country to discourage any eavesdroppers while keeping interest away from them.

"It's currently going well as possible at the moment. Sparrow's been accepted into a fold of researchers as an understudy and blends in well enough. He works hard and has diverted several potentially damaging projects, though not enough to get noticed. I'd say he'd be able to stay for another year or two at least, generally speaking." the clone answered easily in the same tongue. "But in this world, who knows?"

"Do you have anything else for us?"

"Not really, other than the fact that they're aware that the Vendice are slowly catching on to their schemes. That, and some more human experimentation."

"That would be important I would think. Human experimentation?"

"Sparrow isn't in deep enough to be a part of it, but from what's been passed around, they're chancing the possibilities of playing God."

Wolf stiffened. "What?"

"They're dabbling in trying to mix different animal DNA to the human body to enhance its capabilities. As well as transplanting different body parts for the same purpose. Essentially what Orochimaru was doing, though I'm not sure who was more sick."

There was no answer for a moment before the conversation started up once more, though much tenser than before.

"Nothing else?"

"No sir."

"Alright then. The Commander along with myself as acting heads have made several contracts with some families. As you know, the Fire Shadow and Brotherhood do not tie themselves down with physical links as none can catch the Shadow. Be on the watch and don't get caught, and if you feel that there is something wrong, 'disappear'. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Dismissed."

"Sir."

.

.

_Several Months Later, A Few Thousand Kilometres Away_

The shrill cry of a bird of prey echoed through the frozen land, forever covered in snow. White mountains blended in with similarly coloured clouds, blank, bleak scenery broken by the uneven dotting of the coniferous forest that covered the land in patches.

Against the pale sky, it was easy to spot the dark spot that circled the area, crying out every now and then.

It wasn't surprising to see the creature- a White-Tailed Sea Eagle; this was their natural habitat for this time of year and their territory could range up to seventy square kilometres from their nest, usually situated not too far from the sea. It was most likely hunting, sharp eyes searching for any sign of life so as to swoop in for the kill to feed its newly-hatched chicks.

As the sea wasn't too far from this location, the European Vendicare Prison Guards of the Vendice had nothing to suspect.

One of the two guards twitched, and seconds later a seemingly endless length of chain shot from a sleeve and narrowly missed the bird who squawked, veering away sharply. Another twitch had a human-looking puppet materializing from a portal that suddenly appeared behind the figure, streaking upwards in a blur and launching a blade from a hidden compartment that speared through the animal.

With a strangled shriek, the form tumbled to the ground several kilometres away, the happening ignored as the other guard angled a bandaged head towards the first.

"You still lack restraint befitting a puppeteer."

"…"

"A puppeteer does not act rashly; a puppeteer moves with silent grace and confidence, sure as the sun will rise, playing with the strings of fate and manipulating the world around them. You still lack that."

A harsh rasping laugh escaped the first. "Playing with the strings of fate you say? Doesn't look like that to me."

Abruptly, the air filled with a hollow if palpable pressure, bearing down on the first. The guard choked slightly, despite not needing to breathe to live.

"Watch your words puppet. I created that doll of yours and taught you to use it; I can take it apart or even take control of it from you faster than you would be able to hop to your Master's feet like the loyal lap dog you are. There is a reason that I am one of the Elite of the Vendice." Words cold as the most cutting winter wind sliced through the tension, voice slightly grating but youthful sounding nonetheless.

"…Yes." came the grudging reply after a momentary silence.

"Good. Be glad that your Master wasn't here to witness your blunder. Even with all of Eternity before you to repent for that mistake, it would not have changed a thing."

"Eternity?"

"Eternity."

.

.

Somewhere deep underground, a thousand kilometres away, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto jolted from his Lotus Position on top of the sealing diagram of his hideaway, covered in sweat and gradually slowing heart still racing from the sensation of being stabbed through.

Recovering from the rushing adrenaline, the first thing he felt was hunger; the kind of hunger one gets when not having eaten anything for more than a week straight and sitting right beside a five-star restaurant. But it was more not having eaten anything for about several months straight after a single report of his clone from the deep-dive into his subconscious to gain control of a clone.

The technique was a combination of Yinton chakra, astral-projection, and a Yamanaka Hijutsu, accessed through a specific sealing diagram to reduce the emaciation of the user's body and stabilize it during the usage time, a series of hand-seals that reached the dozens to project the user over long distances into a willing vessel (or a clone in his case), and meditation. This technique had been created some few hundred years ago if memory served him; created over the course of more than a decade of semi-safe self-experimentation and appropriately named 'Yinton: Yubikitasu-tōei no Jutsu'.

The next was extreme fatigue, coaxing the blond to just fall into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness. But he couldn't do that- for one he had to get something in his stomach first, and then find a suitable, safe, comfortable place to rest. After a shower.

Wearily calling upon a miniscule amount of Nature Chakra to give him a temporary energy boost, he cleaned up the place before mentally searching through the map in his mind that marked every single Hiraishin seal he'd left in a location. Choosing a suitable one, he gathered most of his remaining chakra to pull him there, feeling the odd sensation of swimming through water as separate particles that lasted for eternity but also a second before landing on solid ground.

Several worried shouts surrounded him and the shinobi blinked as he stumbled slightly, calloused hands catching before he fell, floor rushing up at him.

Looking to the face of his savior, he managed a sheepish grin as he spotted the disapproving look on the Commander's face before the red-headed clone turned to shout an order.

Naruto's last thought before everything went black was that his planned bowl of ramen and shower were unfortunately going to have to wait.

.

.

_Unknown Location in Italy_

Dark eyes covered by equally dark sunglasses peered out of the window, thoughtful. In the night, so many interesting sounds could be heard; the quiet whisper of the breeze, the chirping and calling of insects, and the faint footsteps of the rookies if he listened hard.

Right now, he heard the soft sound of bare feet on wooden floorboards behind him, the footsteps of his only friend and roommate.

"Fedele?" asked a tired girl's voice. "Why're you up?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that Celestina." replied the boy quietly. "And I couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"You should know right?"

"…Yeah, I guess. It's weird though." the girl shrugged.

The boy blinked, unseen behind his glasses. "That we don't feel like who we are?"

"I'm not sure if we can say it like that."

"It makes the most sense."

A short laugh escaped the girl, leaving her slightly breathless. "Once upon a time, you wouldn't even have dreamed of something like that."

"Once upon a time, things did not happen as the way they did."

"Ah. Yeah. I wondered what happened after?"

There was a pained silence.

"…Guess we'll just have to wait and find out."

"That seems to be the case Celestina."

"…Don't call me that."

An amused smirk crossed the boy's face.

* * *

**OKAY, INTERLUDE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE SPLIT INTO TWO BEFORE CANON STARTS *SORRYFORLYING**

**This has covered from right after the Ball to about a year later; next chap will be roughly another ****1-3 year ****time skip.**

**The mysterious man should *?* be obvioius. The Vendice guards I've given you a very large hint at who they are, and Celestina and Fedele aren't OCs. I swear. Those who can figure it out will get a one-shot AFTER I'VE DONE DEOFIRO'S.**

**Jutsu (of which has caused me much pain and the butchering of Japanese/sorry)**

_Fuuinjutsu: Teihaku Chi Bunshin- Sealing Technique: Anchored Blood Clone : Explanation of technique above._

_Yinton: Yubikitasu-tōei no Jutsu- Dark/Shadow Release- Ubiquitous Projection Technique : Explanation of technique above._

**_!SPOILERS!_****  
**

_...what the flying fuck. Seriously. What the flying fuck. I don't even know what's going on anymore, so I'm just waiting blankly for next week's chapter to come out to see if we're all being trolled really badly or what. Really. Gawd what is this-_

_**!END!**  
_

**Story idea of the week- **_Chaos Cycle-_

_It was then that she realized that she'd become 'that one poor sap' from the stories, staring in invisible horror at the reflection of a familiar-looking yellow-eyed, green-scaled chameleon after dying as a human. She'd been reincarnated into the KHR world as LEON, with her human mind still intact. 'God? I hate you.' OC, no pairings_

_Status- Slow progress writing while planning_

_Length- Moderate to long length, realistic pace with few large time-skips._

**COULDN'T RESIST. SORRY. BTW, if you do read all my AN's, put 'cheesemuffins' somewhere in your review. Now I'm tired, and reviews/favourites/follows will make me better. I expect my inbox to be stuffed people/shot**_  
_

**Next chapter- Consulting the Bijuu, the turning of the Arcobaleno, and Tsuna's birth. O.o**


	15. Chapter 15

**READ FOLLOWING A/N'S. THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT.**

**RL. RL and 6,150 words. **

**Anndddd- this interlude also had to be broken into two parts. I know you're annoyed, but damn if I don't just type like I'm dying sometimes. **

_I have my new-ish poll on my profile- vote people; I may do the fic that gets most votes for NaNoWriMo this year, though it's all unofficial._

**Several issues to address- **_this story will be staying GEN._** I may hint at legit or crack pairings in the future, but Naruto will NOTE be paired up with anyone. It simply doesn't work. Sorry if you don't like it, but that's how it is folks.**

**Two- my English. I live in Canada- which you'd note, looking at my profile *coughcough* and often wander the internet, so my English is heavily influenced by both America and Britain. So if you see, ie 'armor' and 'armour', it's because I forget to stick to one way of writing. Please excuse that.**

**Three- there will be canon-divergent areas. Places where canon events happen, but the driving forces behind them are different. I hope you won't be disappointed, but things happen.**

**Four- there'll be reincarnated characters. Hint hint. They will play pivotal roles. NUDGE NUDGE.**

**Chapter Fourteen. THE BIJUU HAVE ARRIVED. ****And thank beta's Fubukifang and Keeper of Harmony too.**

**Disclaimer- Don't own, or I wouldn't have ended the latest arc so lamely. Honestly. **

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Fourteen

_Several Days Later_

The first thing that greeted Naruto when he woke up was the sharp, stabbing pain of hunger from deep within his stomach.

The next was the disgusting smell of stale sweat mixed in with a number of other scents that he didn't even want to think about.

Blankly, he lay still, mind running through his last conscious moments before passing out before he remembered warping to his main Italy base and being taken care of by his commanding Teihaku Chi Bunshin Tiger. By now, it had to be the morning already. Sitting up and stretching slightly, the blond found himself to be mostly recovered and so got out of bed before cracking his back along with several other joints.

Quickly locating a bathroom, he stepped in and stripped before showering and washing up. Minutes later, dressed in a fresh, clean set of his standard Fire Shadow outfit with all of his gear that'd been left on the night table in its place, the shinobi set to hunting down breakfast.

Despite the ridiculous number of bases he had around the world (what was the last count? Somewhere in the hundreds? Or was it the three hundreds…), the blond had spent enough time in each one to know it like the back of his hand. Navigating through the maze-like layout easily, he stepped into the casual-feeling mess hall, catching an angrily thrown apple and curse from a clone who'd lost to him in a poker game the last time he'd visited and returned a cacophony of greetings before sitting down at an empty table.

Soon enough, a glorious, steaming bowl of miso ramen (along with a cup of water, but that was ignored) was placed before him by a kind-looking woman who he'd picked up from the streets and worked here- Maria her name was. He nodded in thanks, flashing an appreciative smile which was returned before the other walked off.

Turning back to his food, a manly tear was wiped from his eye and a quick 'itadakimasu' murmured before digging in. He'd not eaten for several months now, and it'd been even longer since he'd had a taste of his beautiful ramen.

A man could indulge a little.

The quiet clink of a bowl against the table caused him to look up with an easy-going grin at the content red-head who'd joined him. "Hey."

"Good morning Boss." Tiger dipped her head towards him; lips curved just the tiniest bit.

"Well don't you look happy today?"

A shrug was her answer. "It's a good day today."

Naruto nodded understandingly a little, face then becoming serious as he took a sip of water. "How long was I out for?"

"Five days." replied the Commander easily, taking a sip of her soup and humming slightly.

If he wasn't used to it by now, the blond would've done a spit take at the number. In his first lifetime of sorts, the longest he was in the hospital was generally a day, what with Kurama healing him at a ridiculous speed along with his natural Uzumaki genes.

Now though, considering the Bijuu were all free to roam and live as they wish as long as they didn't cause natural disasters or go on unexplainable killing sprees (his thoughts wandered towards Shukaku, whom was last sighted in the Sahara Desert). Which included Kurama, which meant less regenerative powers and more accelerated healing.

Sighing loudly, the shinobi merely let his head fall onto the table with a 'thunk', eliciting an amused snort from his female clone. "What?"

"I was merely going to comment on how you needed those brain cells that you just killed." Tiger commented lightly.

Naruto groaned childishly, turning to turn sullen blue eyes on her, "So apparently I'm a self-degrading, masochistic sadist who's just a bit off the deep end with a great personality and penchant for dramatics and mood-swinging."

"You said it, not me Boss."

"Aren't you technically insulting yourself?"

"You already know this Boss; technically, the Teihaku Chi Bunshin is more creating a different person than anything so no, not really."

"Stop being a smart-ass."

"I'm not. I'm simply stating things as they appear."

"-which means you're being a smart-ass." concluded the blond in a deadpan, pausing momentarily before feeding some chakra to a storage seal that was imprinted on every single piece of his clothing, allowing for easy access to his gear from multiple places at once. Immediately, a sealed scroll dropped into his hand, which he handed over to the red-head. "Take this."

"This is?"

"A report of the happenings of the last half year or so; all compiled by Wolf during the time I was out. We were keeping up a partial empathy link so he got everything. A-rank- take it, read it, seal it, file it." ordered the shinobi.

Blue-violet eyes sharpened and their owner nodded seriously. "Of course. That high though?"

"It's got some pretty sensitive information." Naruto's mouth set in a grim line. "I'm going to go consult the Nine."

"Alright then Boss. I'd tell you to take care of yourself, but chances are you'll end up doing something extremely convoluted to the point that it's stupid."

A dry look was shot in her direction as he picked up his apple and took a bite out of it. "Thanks."

Standing up, he left a generous tip for the worker-Maria and strode towards the door, finishing his apple quickly and throwing it with deadly accuracy straight at the clone who'd done the same to him. It nailed the sandy-blond in the back of the head, bouncing off.

"Three-thousand, four-hundred sixty-one to nothing!" came the mocking call from outside the mess hall doors.

Chortling, a pale brunet sitting next to his irritated co-worker clapped a hand on the other's shoulder.

.

.

A soft sea breeze ruffled his hair and blue eyes opened, having been closed for the last several hours as their owner had carefully exerted all of the control he'd possessed to pulse his chakra out to a range of up to several hundred kilometres. The effect was further amplified by the fact that the last time he'd checked, most of the Bijuu were all on the Eurasian continent and that they were fine-tuned to his chakra considering it was the only other sizable source of chakra on the planet other than their brethren.

Currently situated at the nearest isolated place that he could find within 'accessible' range of his Italy HQ, he'd jumped from Hiraishin marker to marker several times, followed by a very trickily executed dash-dive combo across a section of open sea. Technology advanced rapidly these days, and along with a close-call with world powers by sonar a while back, Naruto had learned to be appropriately wary of machinery and its capabilities- never mind that he himself used it as well.

Upon arriving at the un-populated south coast of the unnamed island which hosted only a single city- if it could called that- named Stromboli, remarkably sure that there was no one in the vicinity, he dried himself off quickly with a Fūton jutsu. The only thing around him was the ocean and several square kilometres of protected land, risks only being perhaps a wandering civilian and ships at sea.

By now, the landscape was awash in the day's dying beams of sunlight, a few distance cargo-ships visible if he channeled a large quantity of chakra to his eyes, so the blond sat still, waiting.

Day finally slipped to dusk and then night, and it was in the dark hours of the morning when the shinobi- having slipped into a meditative state ages ago- felt several powerful presences around him.

"**Naruto. Why have you called us out here?" **rumbled a deep, questioning voice from the direction of the ocean.

"Just a moment Isobu. Would you mind putting up a Genjutsu fog? And it'd be helpful if you weren't all the size of mountains." replied the lone human- if he could be called that with his lifespan and powers.

Having long adjusted to each other, the Bijuu and man knew each and every other being very well from ages of forced cooperation to grudging acceptance, comrades, friends, and so on. Hence, when Naruto asked for the Sanbi's specialty, the gigantesque turtle did so without complaint or question as the Nine decreased to the size of houses instead.

"**There. Now what has happened?"**

Drifting fog swirling around them, the blond spoke, "The Brotherhood has dug up some news. Firstly; be careful of a group called the Estraneo. They're a South-Italian based Famiglia and half of them are essentially Orochimaru based on the sheer sick factor of how far they're willing to go for science. Their technology is already a decade advanced, so I don't know how much they can do to you but better safe than sorry."

Angry growls and rumbles sounded from the Bijuu- they were truly menaces but in the end, they did not gleefully rip intestines and organs out of someone for the simple matter of seeing how they'd react to it. Not to mention that the scientist had played with Life and crushed others in his path for Immortality; kidnapping, open surgery without anesthetics, brutally murdering people, pitting deformed humans against each other in Battle Royales, if it was a crime, the man probably did it. Thankfully, he was dead now.

And as powerful as they were, the Nine had also learned that technology was not to be underestimated. Sheer power could only go so far in the end after all.

"**I never thought I'd see the day where there'd be a whole group similar to the disgusting False-Human. Are the Hawks, Crows, and Weasels still monitoring the Snakes?" **Son Goku snorted harshly, golden eyes narrowing.

"**They were the last time I had checked. Not to mention that Katsuyu's clan is also watching over them from multiple areas. The other Summons have been told to eliminate the Snakes only should they betray the Summoning-Binding pact, otherwise, they are to be left alone." **Plumes of corrosive gas blew from Saiken's mouth as the Six-Tailed Slug spoke, surprisingly cultured tones falling and rising in the quiet.

Warily eyeing several trees as they began to melt from the acids in the gas, Naruto moved away. "That's good. I'd prefer if they didn't have to, but it seems as though the Snakes will always remain true to their nature. Second piece of news; we've located an approximate location for the Vendicare European Water Prison."

The Bijuu all looked up at that. **"I thought that's where they held the worst of the humans?" **Shukaku growled.

In the time after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto had taken to 'readjusting' the tanuki's sadistic psychopathic personality. Considering he couldn't let a crazed force of nature whom he was technically responsible for just roam about amongst vulnerable people, several years of intensive 'therapy' had resulted in the Bijuu gaining some semblance of calm, with the blood-lusting state as a separate, extremely hard to access personality.

"Mafia-only actually." the shinobi corrected absently. "It's a semi-hidden island off the North-Scandinavian and Russian coast in the Barents Sea- not too far from Novaya Zemlya, Russia.

"It's perpetually winter there, mountainous and covered by coniferous forest with a layer of nimbostratus clouds spread across the entirety of the island and several square kilometres of ocean around it. The entrance is in the side of a mountain situated near a small inlet on the north-west side of the island and it's presumable that a large majority of that area is the underground prison. The southern half hosts the general facilities, or at least those that are needed."

"**The hell do you mean by that Uzumaki?" **Only one would be so neutrally blunt and sharp enough to pick such a small detail up among the Nine.

Naruto was silent for a moment as he tried to pick the right words to explain things before speaking, "…You are aware that my Yubikitasu-tōei no Jutsu allows me to transfer my consciousness into a clone, with all my senses intact right? In the moments between the first attack on my clone and it dying, it- I saw something."

Chōmei buzzed confusedly, hovering in the air. **"Naruto, please stop talking in circles. What did you see?"**

"Bone. There was rotted flesh and bone that you see on a partially decomposed body between the bandages that most likely were covering the rest of it."

There was a tense silence before it was broken by the formal tone of the Nibi.

"**What are the chances of it being the Edo Tensei?" **

"**Zero Matatabi. Even if there was someone other than Naruto who could possibly possess chakra, I would've felt them ages ago on a spiritual plane; the only signatures that show up are those belonging to us. Not to mention the sheer amount of chakra and resources required for simply one Edo Tensei summoning. No, this is definitely not **_**that**_** jutsu." **Kokuō shook his head, for once speaking up rather than holding back.

"Kokuō is right. They're definitely not Edo Tensei reconstructs since the Vendice have been around for centuries; we most definitely would've felt them then if not now and nobody could've held the jutsu up for that long. I don't know who or what they are, but we have to be careful. After all, they are the source of _that_ energy." The blond interjected before anyone else could speak.

Kurama narrowed crimson orbs. **"So it is them? I wouldn't have thought that humans of this age would be as capable as to harness the very darkness in their hearts for energy and power."**

"Apparently they are." replied Naruto gravely, turning to explain to the waiting Bijuu who were left out of the loop. "A while back, Kurama felt a spike of energy with properties similar to Yin Chakra somewhere in Russia, except much darker. Like his own from the Great Shinobi Age, and might be compared to that from the Time Before the Rikudou Sennin."

The rest stiffened at the implications. For negative energy to be powerful enough to be felt from so far away even with the Fox's heightened senses amongst so many people who'd also be emitting extreme amounts of positive and negative energy, it had to be truly frightening to the ordinary. And to be compared to the Chakra of the Jūbi, then no more words were needed.

"**Truly… Then they are Lost Ones. Not completely alive and not completely dead, incomparable even to those revived by the Edo Tensei." **murmured Matatabi. Noises of assent were made amongst the rest of the Bijuu.

The shinobi nodded at the Two-Tailed Cat before turning back to the others. "As such, I will once again warn you all to be careful when dealing with them, which we preferably won't have to. This brings us to our last topic. The Tri-Ni-Sette Wielder is on the move again."

"**That man?" **inquired the Rokubi. **"He is still alive?"**

"He's been alive for a long time." muttered the blond, eyes darkening. "I was an idiot; I should've paid more attention to him in the beginning. What were the chances of meeting two people who act the same, sound the same, look the same, and even feel the same over the course of so many years of history?"

"**While I certainly agree that you're an idiot, there's no point in crying over spilt milk as you humans put it. Now get your act together before I have to…help you." **Kurama ordered harshly, eyes gleaming at his own suggestion. He'd very much prefer to get the chance to burn some energy; running freely all over the world could only do so much and killing humans who couldn't fight back put him in the bad books and got old quick.

Naruto shook his head, grumbling to himself. "I've gone so far as to require Kurama of all people to give me a pep talk… How I've fallen."

Immediately, the shinobi was forced to dodge a swipe of a refrigerator-sized paw. **"Watch your mouth human, I still have my pride." **The Nine-Tailed Fox warned, darkly amused.

"Of course Your Highness." The blond mock-bowed before becoming serious again. "That's it; just keep your senses open and be careful; if you get anything tell me right away. Hopefully, I won't have to contact you all again too soon and thanks for coming."

Son Goku rolled his eyes. **"Drop the formalities Uzumaki or I'll start calling you Sennin."**

The whiskered face of the Reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths twisted into an odd expression that was a mix of disgust, nostalgia, amusement, and something else. "No. That reminds me too much of when I was a brat and called Jiraiya Ero-Sennin. Just don't."

"**Then do as Son says and drop the formalities Naruto-san. We have gone through enough to be considered past fancy speech by this point." **Isobu replied, shifting in the water.

"Says the one who attaches a 'san' to the end of my name, amongst others." Naruto smiled wryly, tossing a glance in the direction of Matatabi, Kokuō, and Saiken.

Had the turtle been a human, he would've been red as a tomato by this point at the shinobi turning the conversation on him. Said shinobi was more amused by the fact that after the Sanbi was done with trying to kill him after having eaten him the first time they met and talking philosophical, life-altering things the second time they met, he was actually _shy_ of all things. It was almost absurd, if by then the blond wasn't used to his life being completely crazy along with everyone in it. Considering how he turned out, he couldn't really say anything either.

"**Well, would you like a lift back to the mainland? I'm bringing Shukaku, Matatabi, Son Goku, and Gy****ū****ki anyways."**

"You're too nice Isobu. And yes, I would appreciate it. I'm technically not even supposed to be out at the moment, but I don't really listen to what the doctors or my clones say…"

At that moment, a cat-sized Kurama leapt onto the blond's head, lying down contently with a smirk at the disgruntled expression on his ride's face. **"Hope you don't mind if I join you."**

Merely nodding and releasing more chakra, the Three-Tailed Turtle grew in size while the rest remained the same, all keeping tight wraps on their power so as not to attract attention from potential passing-by ships or planes. Spreading a layer of chakra over the shell to keep the conflicting elements of each Bijuu from clashing with each other, Naruto sat down, preparing for a moderately long ride back to the shores of west Italy.

"**Let me just say that I still find it amusing when you go off and spout terms like some dictionary as compared to your idiotic self back then as a flashy brat in orange."**

"…Shut up Kurama."

.

.

_Several Weeks Later_

"Hey."

Were it not for the fact that one, he was the World's Greatest Hitman and two, as the World's Greatest Hitman, he had to be able to back it up and act like it, Reborn- as he was known to the rest of the world- most likely would've had a heart attack.

As it was though, the man simply turned slightly, keeping the blond in his peripheral vision but not turning so much as to indicate surprise and fear of him. "Fire Shadow."

"I come to visit you and all I get is that? The things I do for people…" Sighing, Naruto tossed a manila envelope at the other half-heartedly. Even so, the package went flying through the air dangerously fast before a calloused hand caught it.

"It's been a while since you've dropped me anything." The fedora-wearing man commented almost rhetorically as he cut through it easily, pulling out its contents and absorbing the information rapidly. "I'd almost thought you'd died."

"News flash; the world doesn't revolve around you." The shinobi shot back dryly.

"I never said it did. It was an observation."

"I'm sure."

That line of conversation was left there as the hitman read through the information without a word and the Fire Shadow merely glanced about his surroundings with an air of casual ease. It went unspoken, but the raven-haired Mafioso was impressed with how much the blond in front of him had gathered on his mysterious employer when none of his own contacts had found so much as a receipt with the man's name on it.

Finishing the last page, he looked up, only to be pinned by a calm blue gaze staring unflinchingly into black. "Is it satisfactory?"

The World's Strongest Hitman would not be losing here. "Acceptable."

A smirk graced the other's face as he backed up to the window. "Then I'll see what I can do next time. See you around."

Gracefully, the blond leaned backwards, falling out of sight without a sound.

Renato never looked back.

.

.

Having landed without a sound on the ground, no witnesses to see his descent either, Naruto strolled down the private little street as if he belonged there, nodding casually to a pair who'd looked ready to mug him. With a simple flare of power; not even enough to be considered proper Chūnin level, the two looked appropriately terrified and the blond continued on his way.

A presence slithered out from behind an alley, bounding with powerful leaps over and onto his shoulder. "Hey Kurama,"

"**You did not tell him about the turning."**

"I didn't." agreed the shinobi easily, voice moderated though.

"**Once upon a time you would've done anything to save a single man."**

"Once upon a time, I did not have to consider how to clean up after myself should a mission go wrong. Once upon a time, I did not have to consider infinite factors to an operation. Once upon a time, I didn't have to consider the cause-and-effect that my actions would have on the world."

"**You've grown."**

Blue eyes turned melancholy. "I'm not sure how much of that is good."

Man and fox vanished in a gust of wind.

.

.

_Several Months Later_

Considering that the Fire Shadow and Roots Intelligence Network (lovingly called RIN by some of those in it) were allied with the Vongola Famiglia and their intelligence network, the CEDEF, the two groups worked together now and then.

Which, considering they did quite a few collaboration projects and traded information frequently, 'together now and then' was actually quite often.

And with the combined factors of the leaders of each group having to meet up semi-regularly for discussions and be able to get on civilly if not well plus the Vongola-Fire Shadow Alliance having just passed its second anniversary, Iemitsu and Naruto were quite well acquainted.

So well acquainted, in fact, they could be considered almost friends of sorts. Especially since the older blond had bailed his younger friend out several times in close calls during operations.

Hence, it wasn't much of a surprise when he received a very carefully delivered note with simply an address on it. Though the Fire Shadow had raised a brow when it was that of a hospital.

Thus, on the fourteenth of October, 1992*, Naruto arrived at Namimori Hospital, Namimori, Japan, in casual, dark civilian clothes and a jacket, finding a nervous twenty-four year old Sawada Iemitsu twiddling his thumbs outside the delivery room.

"You called?"

The words jolted the young CEDEF Leader from his thoughts, prompting him to look up and see the amused face of one Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. Despite appearing with different looks every time they met in public- smooth strawberry blond hair and pebble green-gray eyes giving him a rather feminine appearance this time- further accentuated with a slender build courtesy of a Henge, the other still always managed to tell it was him.

"N, you made it," Iemitsu exclaimed, trying to stay calm though failing somewhat as he stood. At least years on the job kept him from slipping and calling the Fire Shadow by his real name; known to only a handful of people. Naruto preferred it be kept that way, despite having switched languages to Italian.

"I did. And I think your wife giving birth to your firstborn allows you to be nervous as hell." the shinobi returned dryly in the same tongue. "Long as you don't completely give out on yourself."

The casual tone of voice helped the younger to relax somewhat, sitting down again. "I posted sentries all over town."

"I would say that that's overkill, but then I'd be contradicting myself. How long have you been here?"

"…Six hours." answered the Young Lion, a mix of disgruntled and nervous.

"…" Naruto eyed the man before smirking. "You didn't read up on this part of having a kid did you?"

"…No."

A chuckle escaped the older blond as he sat down in the chair as he would if it were his own house before telling the other, "Get ready because you're going to be here for another three at least."

Three hours later, after about an hour or so of pained screaming and Iemitsu getting his hand crushed in the painfully tight, vice-like grip of his wife, the shrill crying of a newborn infant sounded within the room. Doctors and nurses sang their praises and congratulations to the exhausted mother who merely smiled, cradling one Sawada Tsunayoshi in her arms.

While the last stage of standard procedure for the care of newborn infants was carried out, the new father walked out, smiles and sunshine and just a little bit dazed from the combination of having his hand crushed as well as being a father. Though that was all replaced by the leader of the CEDEF when his sights set on one Fire Shadow who was leaning against the wall outside.

"Would you mind taking a walk with me?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "I could stretch my legs."

They walked down the clean white halls in silence, the shinobi following the other who led him on- unnoticeable to others. Finally, ascending a flight of steps, Iemitsu pushed open the door to the hospital roof, walking over to the side of the building.

For a while they stood, leaning against the railings and just enjoying the sensation of the cool night breeze on their faces until the older turned to his companion. "What do you want?"

The new father opened his mouth before closing it, apparently not quite ready to speak until he finally forced it out. "…I'm sure you realize that despite everything, my Famiglia will always come before my family."

Naruto simply nodded, face impassive. Once upon a time, he would've snarled that family always came first. It did, still, to him, but he realized later on that what he believed in could not necessarily always be applied to other people. It was a miracle that as many people had believed in him as they did. Though it never hurt to point this out, if nothing but for old time's sake.

"You know that if you do that, it's highly unlikely that your son will have any feelings at all towards you when he grows up? Not to mention, you'll be abandoning your wife to be a widow in essence." the older blond pointed out, not just as the Fire Shadow, but as someone who understood. It didn't mean he approved at all, but he understood. Before the other could speak, he continued sharply, "And don't even think that this will be 'protecting' them."

"…I fully understand. But if I can't out of it, at least I can limit the influence of the Mafia on them. Really, I don't deserve either of them." came the admission, low but clear.

A feeling of realization washed over the shinobi as he finally caught on to where this conversation was going. "You don't, considering how you're acting. I would normally give you a good throttling, but evidently considering your station and age, I'd like to think you know the full consequences of your decisions. Now get to the point Iemitsu."

"I'm aware that this doesn't count as protecting them, and I can't even really assign anyone from Vongola or CEDEF to watch over them because if another Famiglia caught wind of them, it'd bring hell down on Nana and Tsuna. So I'm asking you this, as a favor," Iemitsu stared the other dead in the eye, brown clashing against icy blue as he spoke, "to protect my family where I can't."

"…I can accept that- _but_," Emphasis was placed on the word. "Be warned that the results of my work that you will see may not please you. If you ask this, you will not be able to retract it, cut contact, or otherwise remove my influence from your family and others in the area. This is not like protecting a client for short term duration from specific targets with inside aid; this is a long-term field operation which could go lopsided. Do you agree?"

"…Yes. I do. I swear so on my honour as a Mafioso, the Head of Vongola's CEDEF and by the name Sawada Iemitsu. You have my word."

"And you shall pay for your family through blood and honour."

Slicing into the flesh of his hand with a ceremonial blade he'd produced from within his jacket, Naruto extended the bleeding limb which was only starting to pool crimson, expression unwavering. Despite the unfamiliar custom, the idea was not hard to identify and the younger grabbed the life-blood covered knife in a firm grip before doing the same. Clasping hands, the red mixed together, possible health consequences disregarded.

In that moment, the contract was made- nothing physical to prove its existence, but known to the two of them.

.

.

Having returned half an hour later, the bumbling, happy-go-lucky attitude of Sawada Iemitsu, husband of one Sawada Nana had returned to greet his wife, chirping something about getting lost finding the bathroom before transitioning smoothly to cooing over the woman and child. Naruto had shaken his head amusingly, nodding politely to the brunette, congratulations flowing smoothly out of his mouth and causing the woman to blush.

Suddenly, memories from another time, place, and mind slammed into his mind and the shinobi stiffened, unnoticeably to the civilian in the room, but enough for the CEDEF leader to pick up on.

Pretending to glance at the clock in the room, the older blond faked surprise. "Oh, I've let slip of the time." Smiling charmingly to Nana, he continued lying flawlessly, a twinge of regret for having to do this to the woman. "I'm very sorry, but I have an appointment very soon. Please don't mind me, though I am honoured to have been considered important enough to be present for your son's birth; he's beautiful and I'm sure he'll go on to have a great future with such a wonderful mother looking after him. Feel free to call for me should you ever need help, I'll be happy to provide aid, and congratulations again Sawada-san."

At the very least, he hadn't been lying when he said he was honoured, Naruto consoled himself absently as he patted the brunette's arm, tiny seal fading rapidly against the skin, unnoticed by Nana herself. Backing out of the room, he waved once before closing the door.

Controlling his impulse to Hiraishin to his set destination immediately, the blond donned his Fire Shadow persona and locked his jaw, striding down the hall and near gliding down the stairs. He was out of the hospital in minutes, throwing the professional looking receptionist an appreciative nod.

Once out of the hospital, the shinobi broke into a run, mentally cursing the fact that he was in an urban area and so couldn't run as fast as he wished to, barely keeping to under a full out sprint that would easily match that of Olympic athletes. As it was, he still made it an abandoned warehouse area on the fringes of the town not twenty minutes later where Naruto then proceeded to throw all his chakra into a specific seal, disappearing with a gust of wind.

* * *

***1992- Manga set/starts in 2006 = subtract 14 years to get 1992. Creative license.**

**Hope this proves why Naruto is BAMF instead of a god- he still misses things and isn't all powerful either. Other reasons will be revealed later. **

**This is before the Fated Day. Hence, Renato instead of Reborn.**

**No, I am not a major Iemitsu basher. I will give reasons why he doesn't get 'Father of the Year' Award, but also why he isn't 'that *asshole-ish* guy'.**

**_!SPOILERS!_  
**

_There are no words to describe my feels on Naruto at the moment._

_KHR= Amano. You ended this arc really badly and totally killed the mood, though I suppose the fluff/humour from the start of the hospital panels made up for it a tiny bit. Get your creative writing brain in gear. Good day._

_**!END!**_

**Story idea of the Week- **_The Unseen Factor-_

_Everyone sees the Sky, but not everyone sees the Space- what's behind the Sky. No-one had ever considered the possibility that Sawada Nana had been more than just an air-headed housewife. But that facade is forced to drop to reveal the former assassin of the Underworld the day a killer comes to target her son and 'Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned' is quite appropriate. Boy will the Mafia world ever be surprised when they come knocking on her door. FormerAssassin!Nana training Tsuna._

_Status- Planning_

___Length- Moderate to long length, realistic pace with time-skips or flashbacks._

**The second half will probably be posted soon, though if not, then in a week again. Sorry people. In the meanwhile, check out Bleach-ed Natsu, Sansri, and Two-Faced Procrastinator's stories- they're all wonderful. :)**

**Keep an eye out for a KHR/Black Rock Shooter xover one-shot as Deofiro's prize sometime in the future. Go watch the OVA. Too many feels I tell you. And I expect lots of reviews/favs/follows... Word for review- fudge.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, sorry for the wai. RL has become really hectic.**

**Several things; One- this brings an end to the 'And So it Begins Arc' from the past. Any future flashbacks will come in due time with relation to happening events. So next chapter- welcome to canon. Or pre-canon. Depends, but I guarantee it won't be more than seven years pre-canon, and _will_ involve the current KHR crew of the Tenth Gen and others. Who knows, _maybe_ I'll toss the Varia and even some other character cameos in too.**

**Two, NaNoWriMo- I'm going to be trying out for this, and seeing as fanfiction is allowed, I will be choosing one of the fic ideas of my choosing to write. So yeah. PM me or review if you'd like to comment or whatever. :) All suggestions will be taken into consideration.**

**Three, vote. On. My. Poll. Thanks.**

**That's it I think, so Chapter Fifteen lovelies. Thank Keeper of Harmony for beta-ing.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own KHR or Naruto, or else there would be some romance already. If I could write romance...**

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Fifteen

_Somewhere in a Mountainous Region of Western Europe, Hidden from Maps_

Were it not for the numerous, scientifically unexplainable barriers and phenomena that shielded the region and kept wandering civilians or tourists from approaching, the blinding flash of light that illuminated several square kilometres of forest and mountain _in the daytime _would've attracted a great deal of unwanted attention.

As it was though, the report from a transformed Teihaku Chi Bunshin sent him the news, bringing him to the clone's side in a violent burst of air. Amongst the complex design of the seal that made up the clones was that of the Hiraishin, enabling them to be used as summoning points for others or their creator.

Had they been any closer, they could've been detected by anyone in the area possessing a significant amount of power. Luckily though, the clone had been smart enough to stay just out of range, effectively keeping their location under wraps.

"Boss," Robin greeted, coughing slightly.

"Why didn't you call me earlier?" asked the blond, voice tight and the only indicator of his current, highly alarmed feeling.

"Wide-spread crushing pressure. Not KI, but something that gives the sensation of muffling all or being in the gaze of a curious predator. It's only just lightened up enough for me to contact you since it started an hour ago from the mountain." the reconnaissance-specialized clone explained.

"Acceptable. Don't let it happen again."

"Yessir."

Slowly, the light died down, turning the situation into a waiting game. It was truly a test of patience for the shinobi of which he'd not felt since centuries ago.

Daring to let loose a pulse of chakra to get a feel for his surroundings, a barely audible sigh of relief escaped Naruto as he felt none but himself, his clone, and the group atop the mountain. A frown then crossed his face a moment later; if it was someone who possessed abilities like Zetsu's or even _Tobi_ though, he evidently wouldn't be able to feel for them. Even Sage Mode had its limits, feeling through nature. If it was something of a Space-Time technique, then it was pointless.

A sudden shift in the surroundings caused the man to tense before relaxing slightly as he felt the familiar prickling chakra. "Kurama,"

"**Missed him did we? Unfortunate. He doesn't seem to be here anymore, as far as I can tell with the negative energy. Though if he doesn't have any negative energy when going through this process, then it's all moot point anyways." **The fox rumbled, voice almost echoing from his horse-sized form.

The blond ran a hand through his hair, frustrated- this brought them back to square one all over again. It was ridiculous. "Dammit."

"**That was how people felt about you back then. Get going foolish human; that much energy output at once would've surely rendered them unconscious and as easy pickings for any moronic woodland creature."**

It was amazing how given enough time, some people could change so much. The once harsh words- not that they weren't still harsh now- hid a layer of concern underneath; they all knew that no woodland creature would dare even think of exploring that area for another several hours to days at minimum. "Yeah, let's go."

Concentrating mildly, they vanished in a blur of leaves, tearing across the landscape silently. Upon approaching the bottom of the mountain, the group merely applied chakra to the soles of their feet without even thinking about it, leaping up the rock walls. Moments later, they were at the peak and were greeted with the scene of eight babies- the newest generation of Arcobaleno.

"The number is imbalanced…" murmured Robin, posture loose but ready, waiting for orders.

Crimson eyes spotted an anomaly among the pacifiers. **"It seems the blond took that woman's spot. Wouldn't know how much use it would be though." **

"Nonetheless, we're bringing them to a safe place for the moment." interjected the shinobi. "The nearest base from here is south of Lake Geneva in the less densely populated, slightly mountainous region and that's several hours away. Kurama, would you mind carrying them?"

The Kyūbi deadpanned surprisingly well for a fox. **"Yes I do. I've not yet fallen so far as to have been reduced to being your pack-mule to shuttle around whatever you so wish at your bidding."**

"I'll spar with you?"

"**You already owe me three spars."**

"Won't bother you for half a year?"

"**I'll simply go and find you instead to bother."**

"Fine! I'll go get whatever food you want on demand for a year!"

"**Mission accepted."**

"You're such a greedy bastard when it comes to food, it's a wonder you're not fat yet." Naruto grumbled, making a mental note to take some better-paying missions after this considering how much money went into his intelligence network and investments, along with money donated anonymously to charity organizations and the like.

"**Says the man who practically breathes ramen the minute it's within arm's distance." **

Picking up the eight Arcobaleno with his tails and curling them around the tiny figures so as to protect them during the duration of the travel, Kurama made sure to keep a tight lid on his chakra. It wouldn't due to have the group killed by accidently having them come into contact with some of his power when they kept the balance of the world.

"Robin, you're off duty for the next several weeks. Report back at the end of your break. Between the time that we get back and the time you're called, do whatever the hell you want as long as it doesn't get traced back to The Brotherhood or land anyone in the hospital."

"Yessir."

"Let's go."

The three vanished once more, leaving a desolate peak to its own.

.

.

Amused eyes watched the happenings of the world at the moment. "Hmm, this game has just become very interesting… Let's see what else you can come up with Fire Shadow."

.

.

Large black eyes opened so see a dark room, adjusting easily in the low-light level area to then quickly scan the surroundings without a word. Other than a night table, window, table with two chairs along with the bed he was on, the room was bare.

Shifting slightly and feeling a dull twang of pain shoot through him, he winced slightly as he sat up (_in a too small body, a body that was right but wrong at the same time with a weight that shouldn't have been there_) to scan the room again properly. On the night table sat a change of clothes and whatever remained of his property before the events of that mission gone wrong happened.

At the sight of his signature fedora, his lips curved the tiniest bit.

Several minutes later, he was dressed, looking impeccable as ever, somewhat more familiarized with his new body, and reading the note that'd been buried under it.

_You are currently at a secret base located due south of Lake Geneva, Switzerland/France. You now have a choice; leave through the window or simply follow the signs, or come to this location here when you're ready. You will not be attacked, ambushed, questioned, or mocked. You are left to choose of your free will. _

A sigh escaped him, as he folded the paper and tucked it away into a pocket. He really didn't have much of a choice in this option; as it was, that man probably had more answers than any one of them did individually. He certainly didn't trust him fully; that was something hard earned and what they had was bare more than a good business relationship, though he did appreciate the fact (somewhere deep, deep down) that he'd only received the necessary treatment so as to minimize contact between him and outsiders. He was a hitman through and through.

Old habits die hard after all.

Either way, he experimented with his Flames for a moment before deeming his control just acceptable; if nothing else, he would be able to improvise with the Sun Flames should he get into trouble though he would've felt a lot better with a weapon.

Beggars couldn't be choosers though, and so he opened the door, hopping up to reach the handle. Walking down the hall in his new body was truly a new experience though; everything was now several times larger and that proved to be a disadvantage now. It was unfortunate, but he'd work around it somehow.

Following instructions, he rounded a corner only to hear a call of "Kora!" from further down the passage. A scowl slipped onto his face; how did he miss their presence? This slip was unacceptable.

Clearing his face for the moment, he nodded in acknowledgment as he joined them; amongst the group was Colonello- the cocky army-man, Lal Mirch- the former's trainer, Fon- one of the World's Martial Arts Champions, Verde- a well-known scientist in the Underworld (didn't stop the hitman from loathing him any less), and Skull- the annoying Immortal Stuntman from Hell. A slight glow emitted from the Pacifiers at their close proximity; an uncomfortable reminder of what had just passed.

Soon, they arrived at the room which was empty other than a rounded-rectangular conference table with height-adjustable chairs placed around it along with a laptop, projector, and screen. The only ones missing were Luce and Viper, causing tension to escalate considering their circumstances. What'd happened to them was an urgent matter, and the more time it took for them to get answers on what'd happened, the less time they had to adapt and prepare should anything else come their way.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long. Half an hour later of clipped conversation, the door opened again to reveal their 'host' of sorts, spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes, dressed in ideal combat gear with signature coat over top, missing members perched on his shoulders.

"Normally I'd greet you under better circumstances but as of now, formalities are about as useful as dust. Make yourselves comfortable because chances are, we're going to be here for a while." spoke the Fire Shadow, depositing Luce and Viper into two seats before walking up front.

No one bothered with the custom blathering about who he was or why they should trust him; the gathered eight would be idiots to not have heard of his name or reputation before and they wouldn't trust him if not for their situation. As it stood, that trust was shaky even so.

"I did not take you for the type to interfere in the business of others Fire Shadow." Verde commented simply, eyes scanning the room to land on the man, flickering once at an odd sensation of wind brushing against his skin.

"It's not other people's business if it becomes my business," came the dry reply as a folder was pulled from his coat and papers distributed. "On these sheets is information about what I've gathered of your employer, your turning, and current situation. Read this if you want, burn it, turn it into a paper airplane, whatever you wish."

The room was quiet other than the flipping of pages; no one was stupid enough to reject this priceless information. They didn't worry themselves about if any of it was false- for all of his shady work, it was generally agreed by those who worked with or hired the Fire Shadow that unless his employer betrayed him, he was quite amiable and straight-forward. Those who didn't agree were either dead or stayed silent- a smart decision.

Suddenly a hand slammed down onto the table- the effect slightly ruined by the fact that it was a baby's hand rather than that of an adult's- but worked as intended to express the anger that was felt.

"What the hell kora!" snapped Colonello, blue eyes blazing as he fought to control himself, "What do you mean that this is irreversible!"

"Colonello!" Lal Mirch barked, "Restrain yourself!"

Student turned to instructor, entire body shaking. "But Lal! This-this-it says we're effectively stuck like this forever!"

He might as well have told everyone his inner-most thoughts for all that he tried to censor himself. Russet eyes squeezed together as she snapped back sharply, "I know idiot! Now shut up and sit down!"

Opening his mouth to speak again, the soldier then decided against it, doing as told stiffly.

Fon broke the silence serenely, looking for all in the world calm other than the fact that his eyes betrayed him slightly, "So this is true?"

The spy-master dipped his head, "As far as my sources go, yes. Though evidently at some point, the Pacifiers are transferred to new chosen ones for some reason or another."

"And the old generation of Arcobaleno disappear, presumably dead." the scientist concluded, tone unreadable. "Essentially, our lives are in the hands of a single man who can manipulate us however they may, like puppets on strings."

"I refuse to accept this! I'm not going to just lie down and throw my life away like a dog because some man demanded so!" Viper hopped up onto the table, a psychic aura beginning to form around the Mist Arcobaleno which lashed out angrily, turning around to look at the Fire Shadow, "Aren't you some sort of world-class spymaster? Why can't you find him?"

"What makes you think I haven't been looking into this man?" The cloaked baby looked startled at the admission and words of the man. "The Underworld whispers of your name and power, Viper. While it's true that I can find almost anyone or anything given enough time, the same can be said of your psychic abilities, most notably your Thoughtography. Don't think me stupid; you probably looked into your employer the minute the first request came. If you can't find him, haven't been able to find him from the start, I don't have much more chance than you do. Open eyes and ears can only do so much."

No one said a word. The current situation at hand was delicate at best and a ticking time-bomb at worst. With the emotions currently running high between everyone at the turn in events had everyone going on short fuses- considering that these were the 'Il Prescelti Sette', the Chosen Seven, should things blow to high heaven, they would not turn out well. Even with the Fire Shadow running as mediator, the meeting didn't look to be making any positive progress.

"But, with the fact that this is the handler of the Tri-Ni-Sette, it should be assumed that he is remarkably strong. Assuming that, then it wouldn't be a far stretch to think that it'd be possible for him to conceal his presence from almost everyone, which would explain why no one has ever seen him outside of the Fated Day or the Representative Battles."

"Representative Battles?" If it was something relating to that man that they hadn't heard of, then it was important.

"From what I've found, only recently considering how tightly-guarded this information is, the Representative Battles are a different way of choosing the Arcobaleno through battles waged between the chosen representatives of each holder of the Pacifiers." explained the serious-looking blond, "The winner apparently has their curse removed, though what happens afterwards is unclear. Somehow, the next generation is found and the remainder of the old generation of the Chosen Seven disappears."

"So in the end, we still in fact have nothing to go on that will prevent any of us from dying in the end with no foreseeable way out in which we have the Curse of the Rainbow removed to regain our former bodies? This is most…troubling." Verde mused out loud, voice never wavering despite the situation.

"I'll say. And how do you know about Checkerface and the Arcobaleno? That's not information that's generally spread around." Skull piped in warily, eyeing the spy-master.

The addressed man seemingly glanced around at them all, when in actuality was simply confirming permission from his 'client' of sorts who barely dipped his head in agreement. "Reborn and I struck up an agreement. I've been looking into Checkerface and the history of the Arcobaleno for the last few months; more than a year actually."

"…" More than one pair of curious eyes swept over to the impassive-looking Sun Pacifier holder, all of which were equally ignored.

"That's it really. I will continue research on Checkerface considering my contract with Reborn is still valid. Any information of use will be passed to him and you as well, no pay required,"

Discontent auras seeped out of more than one person; each man and woman here had their pride and being indebted to someone of such standing did not please them at all.

"-But, in return, I ask for one reasonable favour." continued the Fire Shadow easily, brushing past the atmosphere, "It will not have you betraying your allegiances, nor will it pertain to my holding any measure of control over you except for a demand. Is this acceptable?"

"…Yes." Viper was surprisingly the first one to give in, dark aura dying away however grudgingly. "As long as this doesn't cost me anything."

Slowly, the others all gave their agreement. Nodding once, the blond seemed to relax minutely. "Then feel free to use open facilities here as you please for the next little while; no one here will or is permitted to harass you and you may leave whenever you wish to- I trust you will find your way. I take my leave."

The gentle brush of fabric on fabric was the only other indicator of his being in the room as the door slid open silently, where he stopped. A dry chuckle escaped him.

"Oh, I forgot to do this earlier in person, but welcome to Geneva, Switzerland."

A pair of sapphire blue eyes watched his figure disappear into the hall.

.

.

There was nothing but green to see for kilometres around in all directions at the top of the forest-covered hill other than the sparkling surface of Lake Geneva to the north, along with the smattering of gleaming gray-metal and reflective glass of the city on the other side. A fresh breeze danced through the air, sending leaves scattering into the sky.

"Signore Fire Shadow,"

Naruto turned around to see an infant in white- Luce, the Sky Arcobaleno-smiling at him. He nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes?"

"I'm curious as to why you did not tell the rest of them that you knew."

The blond's mouth twisted into an odd expression as he spoke, "I think you know, Signora Luce. You must've foreseen it."

Blinking, the now-child's delicate features did the same, sadness overcoming them. "You're right. The others weren't very happy about it. But it was not my place to interfere."

"Well if you didn't interfere, then that must prove something. Should they exist, the higher powers wouldn't just let anything happen for no reason. There'll probably something to even out the scale in the future."

Luce looked curious, "You are a believer in Fate, Signore?"

Naruto thought back to his time; his first lifetime and all the 'adventures' he'd had. Finding out he was part of a prophecy, finding out he had old roots and blood, traveling back in time to meet his father and a stop a madman, traveling to an alternate universe and meeting another version of his father and mother while stopping another madman, and so on.

He smiled. "I suppose."

.

.

_Two Years Later_

Since the Fated Day, most of the Arcobaleno had adapted and grudgingly accepted their situation, though it was certain that if the opportunity ever came, they would have no hesitation to remove Checkerface from the world. Colonello and Lal had returned to COMSUBIN, Fon to China, Verde to his research, Skull to his stunts, Viper back into the depths of the Underworld, Luce to her Famiglia- the Giglio Nero. They'd all moved on.

Except for one Sun-Arcobaleno.

The hitman stared up at his visitor who stood, staring down at the infant with unreadable blue eyes (_blue eyes that looked so much like that annoying kora-addled Rain Arcobaleno, looking down on him when once they stood even, just another slap in the face that nothing was the same anymore, __**nothing**__-_).

"What do you want?"

His voice was cold and still retained the deep baritone despite his small stature, never sounding more dangerous before. Everything had changed, and that included him.

The Fire Shadow was silent for a moment before speaking, "You can't take living like this anymore can you?"

_Calm, _the raven told himself even as his eyes glittered furiously, _He is the Fire Shadow and attacking would do no good, not to mention would bring immense consequences upon you. You will not betray all that you are and what you have worked for._

"I fail to see how this has anything to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me. Come."

An unfamiliar urge that resisted stubbornly surfaced for a moment before it was crushed under a smothering pressure that suddenly filled the room. Dark eyes stared from under his fedora, privately shocked that the man would call upon his abilities just for something like this.

Equally calm, cold blue eyes stared at him from a just angled head. The word was repeated, not as a suggestion, but a command this time.

"_**Come."**_

He did.

And he wasn't sure what to make of it an hour later in the sprawling penthouse suite of a high-end hotel when the blond pushed past a door to reveal a disgruntled looking brown-haired man. Looking to be nearing his mid-twenties and dressed in a white lab coat, he didn't make for a particularly notable figure.

But the World's Greatest Hitman had recognized him the moment the other had looked up.

"Trident Shamal."

One brown eye roved over the infant, barely an eye roll before the infamous doctor of the Underworld turned to the last person in the room and started complaining.

"What's the big deal dragging me out here from where I was before? I was just about to hook up with some lovely looking women when you barge in and practically kidnap me here, not that it's bad for a hotel, but that's not the point! And you didn't even tell me what you wanted me for! You realize that it's also bad manners to just leave a bunch of ladies hanging like that? Plus what's with this guy here? You should realize that I don't treat men, let alone kids."

The Fire Shadow didn't react, simply bearing through the whining without so much as blinking until the other had finished. "One, those were prostitutes, two, I paid them to make up for your leave. And finally, as to my companion, I'm calling in a favour."

The childish air surrounding Shamal immediately disappeared, replaced by a tense wariness and reluctant acceptance. One did not refuse when a favour was called, and even more so when it was the Fire Shadow doing so. "What is it then?"

"I want you to erase his memories. He will specify which ones."

The doctor squinted at him, "Did the kid even agree?"

"No, but now that I think about it, it could be worse." The click of a gun's safety being removed had never sounded so loud. The message was clear.

_Don't ignore me. Don't call me kid. Or I will put a bullet through your head._

"Jeez, touchy. Alright then, but only this once. If this ever gets out to the rest of the Underworld, my reputation would be ruined."

A sardonic smirk crossed the blond's face, "Then I suppose I won't have to worry about client confidentiality."

Shamal sighed before opening his briefcase and selecting a vial. Popping the top off, a mosquito flew out, hovering in the air in front of the hitman.

"Let's get started."

.

.

_Another Two Years Later_

"Young Master,"

An eleven-year old Dino blinked looking up from his studies to see one of the mansion's butlers bowing as he held out a letter. Immediately, the boy scrambled off of his chair, nearly tripping as he did so to greet the elderly man. "L-Lorenzo, you don't need to bow!"

"It would be rude not to, Young Master."

The dirty-blond sighed; it was always like this. "What's wrong then?"

"There is a letter for you here. Addressed from one, 'N'." The worry in the butler's voice was audible, and for good reason. A single letter to identify a person was not safe at all, especially when involved in the Mafia.

Even so, the boy's face lit up like Christmas had come early. "Really? May I please see it?"

"Of course."

Moments later, the heavy envelope was torn and shredded on the floor while bright brown eyes scanned the messy but still legible writing eagerly, slowing as they reached the bottom of the page. Any letters he wrote would always be left on his window ledge at night and would be gone the next morning, replaced days later with another letter. It was a habit that he was more than used to by now along with several of the maids and butlers when he received the first letter, despite how weird it would seem to others.

His parents knew that he was getting letters from the Fire Shadow (they were secretly hopeful that it would better the alliance between them, if the man was close to their child, along with the fact that no matter how old he was, he was still Dino's first friend and future ally), but not the exact details. If they did, even with the generally accepted craziness of the Mafia, they probably would've cut the connection.

Not that it would've actually done much.

A crease formed between Dino's brows as he read the last paragraph, which sounded rather odd.

_Dino, if you remember several years ago when we first met, your parents were discussing about getting you a tutor. They've decided to, though probably will not tell you. I shouldn't either, but I think the situation warrants it; your tutor will seem rather odd and unpredictable, even evil and sadistic, but remember that things aren't always as they seem. Look underneath the underneath and take the training as is; it will save your life and that of others one day._

_Hope to see you in good shape soon,_

_N_

_(PS, your tutor should be here in three…two…one…)_

The doors clicked open in an almost dramatic fashion, causing both adult and child turned in unison to a see a most strange sight before them.

A smirk curved the face of an infant dressed in a pressed black suit, red polo, blue tie, and orange-banded fedora, yellow-eyed green-scaled chameleon resting atop the hat. Sharp eyes locked onto Dino.

"Ciaossu. I'm Reborn and I'm going to be your home tutor."

The boy's throat suddenly went dry as he realized what the older blond meant when writing that last paragraph. He swallowed nervously, trying to smile.

"Hi. I'm Dino Cavallone."

The future Tenth Cavallone Boss would swear that that day, the Holder of the Sun Pacifier's smirk became even more sadistic than it was before.

* * *

**Hope I got everyone in character. If not, tell me a la review. I'm not a mind reader, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately.**

**HEY! I'll hopefully be starting a side-story to this called 'Old World Soul' which recounts all of the interesting tidbits of Naruto's long life, including the changing of history's course which may or may not affect the crew current time, or is just there for kicks, along with interactions between characters that I'll never get the chance to shove in the story proper. IF YOU READ IT, YOU MAY SPOT SOME LOVELY FORESHADOWING, HINT HINT NUDGE NUDGE. So yeah. Look out for that.**

**_!SPOILERS!_**

_No current updates for Naruto as of yet (last chapter was sort of...dull in all honesty), so no commentary._

_KHR- Well, apparently this is now the Pick-A-Girl-To-Be-Your-Girlfriend-With-Your-Dying-Will arc. Terrible name, I know. Just call it the PYGYDW. Pick Your Girlfriend with Your Dying Will. Yeah. I have nothing to say to this. *Insert pokerface kid._

_**!END!**  
_

**This week's story idea-**_Once More, With a Dying Will-_

_In a different, broken future where a destroyed Vongola struggles for survival, Millefiore attacks earlier than expected. The Tenth Generation are forced to use an untested time machine created by their secret allies Shouichi and Spanner. Unfortunately, instead of bringing their past selves to the future, an imprint of their souls, flames and memories are sent back to their past selves. And not just ten years ago, but even further, causing the past to change into something completely different as the Tenth Generation is gathered earlier, trained earlier, and ready for their trials earlier, along with a bit of help from their future selves' memories and souls._

_Status- Slow progress writing while planning_

_Length- Long. LONG. Realistically paced with some time-skips._

**That's it methinks. Sorry for the delays in advance. Oh and to those who actually read my AN's, 100th reviewer gets KHR one-shot. Please keep to het. if it's romance, I'm not experienced in writing it nor am I comfortable with writing yaoi though I have nothing against it. Hinting and implications are alright though. :) So review~**_  
_


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the wait and the fact that it's so short, but RL has been getting rather hectic, not to mention other plotbunnies and fleshing out this story.

I'm part of a game run by a forum called 'The Story Review Game' where you review someone's story and then request for your own to be reviewed to improve your writing. The review (which you can see in the list) points out some very good things which I shall see to as soon as possible. Due to this, I'm also working on improving the quality of this story, though I have gotten a reason and explanation for one of the major disapproving remarks about the story from the reviewer.

So, if you wouldn't mind, I'd also appreciate concrit if you have the time. But either way, thanks for all the support. You've all been wonderful- pardon my cheesy line.

NaNoWriMo plans have been unfortunately cancelled as of now because I honestly have no time for it, and if I do, it's my sleep time. I apologize if anyone was interested.

Hopefully, the next chapter will be more than enough to make up for this one's lacking, though I'm currently unsure of how to bridge the time-skip/gap. I'm working on it though. Thanks to Keeper Of Harmony for their work in beta-ing this.

Also, before I forget, it'll be Remembrance Day on the 11th for those in Commonwealth countries, to honour those who sacrificed everything for their country and peace, those who continue to serve today, and the end of WWI. May they rest in peace, duty complete, knowing they will never be forgotten and forever honoured.

Chapter Sixteen- Disclaimer: I don't own either of these manga. Sadly.

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Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Sixteen

_It was summer- not even as it was only late May, just on the verge of June when __**he**__ came back with a scary-looking stranger in tow._

"_Nana~! I'm home!"_

_His okaa-san immediately burst out of the kitchen at the call and slam of the door, a delicious smell wafting out of the room in her wake as she trotted towards the source of the voice. There'd been a strange pink colour on her face at the time that his young mind hadn't been able to understand at the time, but decided nonetheless that it looked weird._

"_Iemitsu! You're back!"_

'_Iemitsu? Who was Iemitsu?' had wondered his young mind as he subconsciously struggled to his feet to toddle over to the source of that then unfamiliar voice._

_As he neared the gathering of his okaa-san and that strange man, his okaa-san's voice sounded again. "N-san! It's been so long!"_

_A smooth voice that sounded so real and warm answered his okaa-san, "Sawada-san, it's lovely to see you again. It has been much too long; though I see you look as beautiful as ever. How are you?"_

_The first strange voice spoke again, slightly cross but still light-hearted, "You aren't hitting on my wife are you N?"_

"_Wouldn't dare to even dream of it." replied the second easily with an amused undertone. His okaa-san giggled._

_Who was that? He didn't know that voice, but something deep within him awakened from its slumber, whispering, leaking thoughts, feelings into his heart and mind. _

_**You recognize this person, this man. He is kin, far distant, but kin; embrace the truth of your life, you are-**_

_Scared at this turn of events and unfamiliar words, he shoved the thoughts away, cutting off the foreign feelings as he ran sniffling ("Because big boys don't cry," his okaa-san had said, wiping away the mud covering his face, along with tears and snot, "and you're a big boy now Tsu-kun.") to his okaa-san._

"_O-okaa-san!"_

_Startled but calm brown eyes (filled with love and acceptance) took in his slightly rumpled and teary form before a wide smile crossed her face, "Tsu-kun! Come say hi to your otou-san!"_

_Otou-san?_

_His…father?_

_The man that was supposed to be there for him and his okaa-san, take him out for ice cream and trips to the park, and ask him 'How was the first day of school?' like what the otou-san's of all the other kids did?_

_The crinkly-eyed grin on rugged features looked down on him, beaming as orange-clad muscled arms reached out to him. "How's my adorable Tuna-Fish been doing?"_

_Well, his okaa-san did say his otou-san was really busy with work all the time and couldn't come home and visit, so maybe he wasn't that bad?_

_An innocent smile broke across his youthful visage as he looked up and jumped into the embrace, "Otou-san!"_

_Burying his face into tough but not uncomfortable fabric, he breathed in the scent of so many things that he was unfamiliar with, things he couldn't identify and would soon forget. But never the smell of his father, as estranged as the man would one day become._

"_Now Tsu-kun, I also want you to meet N-san. He's a good friend of your otou-san and me and works with your otou-san sometimes."_

_Looking up, he saw a scary-looking stranger- sharp blue eyes that were so deep (__**So old…**__ hummed the suppressed voice in his mind) and wild untamable blond hair (never mind his own hair was just as untamable…), three marks on each cheek making him look dangerous. Not to mention that he was just as tall as his otou-san, if not taller. He shrunk back, brown orbs wide._

_Blue met his own and immediately softened into calm pools not unlike that of the ocean which he'd seen once in a picture book, the stranger crouching down to make himself look smaller and less imposing to him- only a child. _

"_Hey there Tsunayoshi-kun, I'm N." introduced the stranger, smiling slightly, "I was there when you were born."_

_He looked at the now not-so-scary man, young mind zooming several hundred kilometres an hour as he tried to make sense of things. Finally, he blurted out a single question. "What do you mean by born?'_

_His otou-san made a weird sound as his okaa-san flushed slightly, pink coating her cheeks while the new man's smile turned a little. "It's something that you'll understand when you get older."_

_It wasn't really fair, but the concept of listening to older authority figures was already instilled in his mind at the time so he simply nodded until the voice came back, whispering faster than ever._

_**No, this isn't right- lies and truth and truthful lies and lying truths-burrowing and twisting something into that which it should've never been, wrongwrongwrong-!**_

_He whimpered slightly as he clutched his head, causing the man's face to contort with alarm as he reached out with a hand. "Tsunayoshi-kun-"_

_**Don't touch- don't touch when all there exists now is blood and lies-you've forgotten the truth- **_

"_No, please don't," he whispered, eyes wide as he stared at the frozen man, speaking words that weren't his to choose, "Don't touch me."_

_Staring into the other, brown unknowingly glimpsed what was long set aside; duty over truth, the real truth._

_Pain, alarm, horror, understanding, bitterness, sadness, hatred, so many things, too many things- _

_What was that? A flash of- something before it all disappeared._

"_I'm sorry."_

_Black._

_._

_._

Somewhere in a small town in Japan, a brown-haired teen's eyes snapped open as he sat up abruptly, breathing heavily while he tried to recall the dream. Frowning slightly when he couldn't, last flashes of another time and place slipping through his grasp like sand, he merely sighed.

A moment later, he fell out of bed as his alarm clock sprang to life, buzzing annoyingly on his stand.

Sawada Tsunayoshi would not remember his dream for ages to come, as his peaceful, if dull life was figuratively trampled all over, kicked while down, doused in acid and gasoline, set on fire, and tossed off the top of Tokyo Tower by one fedora-bearing, black-suit wearing baby with too-curly side-burns, a chameleon, and a pacifier.

* * *

If you haven't noticed, a lot of the humor that was originally intended to be in here has been dropped because like Reborn! originally, it was supposed to be crack and sunshine and rainbows, but now it's more serious and combat/action oriented. Sorry if that's turned anyone off, not to mention my terrible sense of humour or so I've been told.

Hence, I'll also be dropping the spoilers rant area; Naruto is simply getting drawn out and even more repetitive than it already is and Reborn seems to be at its end, though I'm not quite sure. It also takes up an unnecessary word count.

I'll be keeping the story idea of the week though. THIS WILL BE AN EXPERIMENT.

BECAUSE IF I CARRY THROUGH, I'LL BE ATTEMPTING FLUFF, IF NOT ROMANCE.

_Surviving COMSUBIN_

_Summary- Drabble experiment. He was the cheeky rookie who flirted with his teacher. She was the strict, no-nonsense Head Chief of Italy's elite special forces. Together, they were the stars of COMSUBIN, but that didn't just happen overnight. It took time, blood, effort, pain, sweat, and tears. But that didn't mean it was all work and no play. Skill was good, but that was nothing if you couldn't work-couldn't connect-with others. And one Army-Man is more than willing. ColoLal_

*Ducks and hides* I'm sorry. But foreshadowing, hint hint. See if you can guess what happened in the chapter. Review?


	18. Chapter 18

_Yes, I'm not dead. Though my muse was. I won't make excuses, but know that I'm really sorry for the wait, and I'll try to get things out faster. _

_As you'll see, some people may not be happy with my decision on some matters; namely, involving more Naruto characters. Honestly, I've decided that adding them in would be a personal challenge to keep everything smooth while making things more interesting, but not overly detailed. I only hope you understand and support me, as I've decided to actually work at this story._

_I also realize previous chapters aren't as nice as they could be, and I'll see if I can change that, but no guarantees. Someone also complained that some chapters could be put together in one; I'm not sure if I'll actually do that. Tell me your opinions by PM or reviews._

_Enough with the long A/N. Onto the story._

_Disclaimer: I do not own KHR, nor do I own Naruto. Both manga belong to their respective mangaka._

* * *

Old Habits Die Hard- Chapter Seventeen

_A formerly sterile-looking hall lined with cells on either side was quiet, a mix of nausea-inducing odors, among them being those of urine, feces, death, and fear filling the air. Various substances, such as disturbing splashes of dried blood and old chemicals, painted the entire hall as if it were the canvas for a piece of abstract art. Doors in various stages of disrepair and damage lined the disquieting space. Some opened just enough to reveal gruesome scenes behind them. Overall, it looked like something out of a horror movie. And it wasn't that far off either; this was the last of the Estraneo bases the Famiglia possessed. _

_Somehow, there'd been a leak of highly-classified information on potential and on-going projects to the outside, attracting the attention of the Vendice. Frighteningly quick and efficient investigations by the law-enforcers of the Mafia World had brought many dirty secrets of the Estraneo to light, bringing the Vendice's full judgment down upon them. _

_Of course, the Famiglia had had no way to fight and nowhere to run. They were all scientists, with barely anyone skilled in combat, and many of their experiments to enhance fighting abilities had failed. Most who survived either went mad, being killed or killing themselves, or refused to fight for those who had tortured them so in their experiments, resulting in those few being killed as well. Those who did fight had been cut down without mercy, and the numbers of the Estraneo began to fall, as did their bases. And no other Famiglia was allies with them, nor wanted to offer them shelter._

_The surviving members had convened in panic as they were forced further and further into a corner, finally hunkering down in a final, extremely well hidden base that only a few knew of. Having just barely escaped the clutches of the Vendice, very few had any of the tools or machinery required for their experiments, which they'd decided to continue with. If nothing else, they had science and their work to complete, to bring about a better understanding of the world. And to do so required breaking certain boundaries that others refused to stray past. Why couldn't the rest of the world see that if was all for the betterment of man, to gain and learn new knowledge?_

_Even so, they had persevered, practically selling their souls to continue their research and experiments. They scrounged up materials and tools from wherever possible and used their own children as test subjects. With each passing day, more experiments were forced onto the children, until they began dying. By that point, the Estraneo had become desperate, and started kidnapping with almost reckless abandon. Anyone unlucky enough to be wandering alone at night just disappeared, never to be seen by family or friends again. _

_It was that day where a certain line was crossed, and the Estraneo doomed themselves._

The sound of metal grinding and screeching against rock echoed through the stale air, leaving in its wake an almost silence. Only the barely audible breathing of those left behind- trapped in their prisons for the rest of their lives- disrupted the disturbing silence. Of course, one would assume that the prisoners would talk, but not here. Not in the North European Vendice Prison.

"_Hey, are you guys ready?"_

_The soft, almost child-like voice penetrated the silence, and received two quiet noises of assent in response. _

"_We're ready when you are." Another rougher voice replied eagerly, with a tinge of worship and bloodlust mixed in._

_A monotone agreement added quietly, "Just give the word."_

"_You both remember the plans, I'm sure," Two nods. "Excellent. Tonight we leave this place to begin our new lives. Our first task in doing so will be the destruction of ou-the Estraneo Famiglia. Then we'll get out of here, and leave the country at the earliest opportunity. Details can be taken care of later. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes." _

"_Of course."_

As the corridor went still again, an almost thoughtful voice spoke quietly, "Well, I must say that this certainly seems familiar."

Though at first, there was no answer, another voice joined in soon enough with the sound of rustling fabric and a snort. "While I can't say much by way of hospitality, at least they're not experimenting on us."

"That's not much to speak for, byon." piped in a third voice. A fourth made a noise of assent.

"I suppose that's true. They are the guardians of the laws of the Mafia. Not that they did much to protect them when the Estraneo clearly violated them."

_It was then that some shuffling sounded from another cell across and down the hall, causing the three to freeze. In the dim lighting the failing fluorescent lights offered, a disturbing face emerged from the shadows. "Sounds like quite the party you've got planned there, kiddo. Mind if I join?"_

_The first voice stiffened, its owner leaning forward slightly so as to be just visible. A pale visage of a not-quite child, framed with blue hair that spiked up slightly in the back, stared at the other with heterochromatic eyes. The right eye displayed a constantly changing pupil, morphing between several distinctly Asian characters. _

_Quickly, he masked his previous surprise with a little smile. "Who are you?"_

"_Me? I'm not quite sure anymore; seems like I've taken one too many blows to the head and I'm more than a little bit overdosed on illegal drugs. It doesn't matter though; who I was before doesn't describe who I am now." Shark-like teeth flashed, beady eyes watching the not-quite child carefully. "What about you, kiddo?" _

"_Who I am is not relevant," deflected the younger, almost imperiously. He was quiet for a moment, considering the man carefully, before finally speaking. "But what is, is that you are interested in joining us. If that is the case, what are your…abilities then?"_

"_Consider me a somewhat cousin to your little blond friend there," the man smiled again, disturbing gaze causing the child to shiver. "He was the experiment to see if it was possible for humans to absorb the DNA of various animals to utilize their physical characteristics in combat, wasn't he? He can switch between several of them and when not using his abilities, he stays relatively normal, doesn't he?"_

"_Oh? And how would you know this?"_

"_Sharks have good hearing, among other senses. Of course, the Estraneo being the bastards they are, turned me into a literal human-shark hybrid. DNA splicing and all that good stuff."_

_There was nothing but a sharp intake of breath from one of the three others as the speaker moved further into the light, enabling them to see better. Despite the treatment, the man was still well muscled; no doubt the result of the experiments on his body. They'd also done more than just that though; every visible square centimetre of skin was pale blue in colour. Shark-like eyes watched them carefully, with a tinge of amusement. Underneath the jawline, what was thought to be odd shadows or birthmarks were revealed to actually be gills, shifting slightly. _

"You did kill them all in the end though. Does that not count for anything anymore?"

"They never suffered as they should have, which is unfortunate. But there's no point in thinking about them. Is our friend quite ready?"

_The not-quite child narrowed his eyes, considering the risks and benefits. With this man's help, it would be much easier to break out of these disgusting halls. It was highly unlikely that they'd be betrayed; they were all in the same boat and attempting to kill them would just waste that much more effort for him. No, for the immediate future, if-when they got out if here, it looked like they'd be together for a while longer._

"_Then do keep up with us. Those who fall behind will be left behind."_

_A laugh escaped the shark-like man's throat. "Can do, kid. Oh, and I hope you don't mind if another joins us. He won't stand for being left behind to continue to be experimented on, not that it'll do anything to him."_

"_Oh? Why not?"_

"_Apparently the Estraneo found some old documents- and by old, I mean ancient- on a way to create a nearly immortal body; indestructible by most things. And well, the chance to play God was too tempting."_

"He's been spoiling for a fight against the Vindice; says it'll be interesting to see how an 'immortal' faces off against the guardians of the Mafia."

A single red eye lit up the gloom of the cell, pupil morphing into the kanji for one. "Excellent. Tonight we break out."

.

.

"Honestly Tsuna, you really need to take more care in keeping yourself safe. I won't always be here to patch you up before your Mom can see it and make excuses for you."

The teen in question shuffled nervously as he hunched in on himself more under the exasperated but fond green gaze of his adopted 'older sister'. "Yes Sakura-nee."

Sayuri 'Sakura' Honda sighed as she tightened the last bandage around a cut with slightly more force than necessary, eliciting a wince from the patient. She'd been through this too many times to fall for that again. "Don't 'Yes, Sakura-nee' me; do it. You have legs; use them, Tsuna. But you're done now- keep them clean and come back tomorrow so I can change the bandages for that one cut alright?"

"Yes nee-san, I know, you don't need to keep repeating it," grumbled the younger teen, earning him a light smack upside the head, "Ow!"

"I do, because it seems like you don't seem to remember me telling you to stay out of trouble." said the older teen sternly as she packed away the small first aid kit, "Let's go then, your mother is probably wondering where you are."

"Yes nee-san."

Together, they left the apartment that Sakura owned, passing by another few familiar faces on their way out of the building.

"Chouji, what's up? Shikamaru, what are you doing?"

"Sakura, Sawada-san," Sighing, the teen straightened slightly as he turned around to greet them each with a nod before raising a dark eyebrow, "I wasn't aware that just enjoying the clouds was a crime nowadays."

"It's after classes on a Thursday, and you're not sleeping or trying to avoid anything 'troublesome'. I have good reason to be _curious_." retorted the girl calmly, slipping into habit.

Tsuna merely shrank back slightly at the budding not-argument. It happened every time his nee-san met up with her friend and his acquaintance, one Shin 'Shikamaru' Yoshida. They would meet, a snarky comment would be made, and they would dissolve into a not-quite-one-sided discussion about things he didn't really understand with words he'd never heard of.

He'd asked about it once, and the ensuing explanation had made his head hurt. Even after suffering through it, he'd learned nothing other than the fact that it was the only thing other than cloud-watching, sleeping, and hanging with his friends that the pineapple-haired male would do voluntarily.

The other teen, friends with the two merely shuffled up beside him, munching on a bag of chips. Akihiro 'Chouji' Kimura offered him the silent support one could only receive from a person who suffered from the same friends with problems that you did, offering a chip wordlessly.

He didn't even know how those nicknames came to be; Sakura was close enough for his older-sister of sorts, considering its similarity to her real name and how suited it was to her hair.

But then there was Yoshida-san and Kimura-san, along with a bunch of other people his sister knew that he'd met a few times in passing. They each had their own nickname, and every time they greeted each other with those names, it had been like a secret inside joke to them, or that was what he'd thought at least. Their eyes would just glint or glow with a certain light or emotion that he couldn't put into words, other than just knowing.

But Tsuna had long accepted that he was Dame-Tsuna, had been Dame-Tsuna, and would forever be Dame-Tsuna, and would never understand what went on between those people. So he just acted as he normally did, quiet with no friends, doomed to fail everything with no future in sight.

Tsuna sighed at the turn of his thoughts, wilting slightly as he accepted the chip with a mumble of thanks.

Kimura-san merely patted him comfortingly on the back.

.

.

Ten minutes later, the odd duo was found walking up the street to Tsuna's home, walking in a comfortable silence when Sakura shifted, intense green gaze glazing over. Tsuna blinked, turning around to shoot the teen a look. "What's wrong, nee-san?"

The older girl jolted slightly, focusing again, "Pardon?"

"You spaced out for a moment for no reason."

"Oh, I just felt like there was someone watching us." Sakura shrugged noncommittally, "But it's probably nothing."

Tsuna looked unsure, something deep inside screaming denials, but said nothing as they approached a familiar looking home. After all, if Sakura-nee said it was alright, then everything was fine, wasn't it?

They arrived at the Sawada household, practically a second home to Sakura considering how often she came over after walking Tsuna from school to save him the trouble of dealing with bullies in no time at all. By now, knocking was just a formality for the high-schooler.

"Nana-san, it's Sakura! I brought Tsuna back." Sakura called casually, pulling in the aforementioned teen through the door.

A motherly-looking brunette poked her head out of the kitchen, a smile on her face, "Sakura-chan! Thank you so much for taking care of Tsuna-kun, I know he must cause so much trouble for you. What happened to him this time?"

The older teen just shook her head amusedly, "He fell in physical education running laps today. It's honestly fine Nana-san; Tsuna's like the little brother I never had. Besides, that's what little brothers are for; causing trouble and mucking about without a care in the world."

Tsuna shot a betrayed look at her, inwardly grateful for the small lie that covered up the real reason for his injuries. "Nee-san! You're not supposed to agree with her!"

"Yes, I am. Stop denying it, Tuna-fish."

Sakura had to stifle a laugh at how well the feminine looking brunet pulled off a disgruntled look, giving off the impression of an unhappy kitty. Ruffling soft brown hair to fluff it up even more, much to the annoyance of the owner, the girl pulled away. "Well, I have to go now, Nana-san, but if you need any help, feel free to call me up."

The woman blinked innocently, "What are you in such a rush for? Aren't you going to sit and stay for a while?"

"No, sorry, but I have homework to do and errands to run." Sakura shrugged in a 'what-can-you-do' sort of manner, lips tilted in a rueful smile, "I wish I could."

Nana sighed amusedly, eyes twinkling, "You're always working so hard, Sakura-chan; you're even working so hard now to become a doctor on top of helping me out and tutoring Tsu-kun! If only he could be more hard-working like you."

"Tsuna is Tsuna, and I'm only giving him a few tips. Either way, remember what I told you before alright, Tsuna?" Sakura said easily, then turning to pin her gaze on the subject of their conversation.

At his 'sister's' hard stare, Tsuna nodded frantically, drawing a real smile out of the teen, "Alright then. I'll see you soon. Do try to stay out of trouble until then, will you, Tsuna?"

"'S'not my fault…"

"Close enough. Bye, Nana-san!"

.

.

'Saiyuri 'Sakura' Honda, age sixteen. She possesses an unusual look for her ethnic background with pink hair, green eyes. Suspected European roots or blood, but has lived in Namimori her whole life. Sophomore student of Namimori High School, consistently high grades. She is also part of several clubs, most notably the martial arts club. Lives alone, though shares apartment complex with a few friends, parents dead. No history of having come into contact with the Underworld. Status; civilian. Threat level; minimal.'

The next few pages of the report went into further detail on her background history, as well as current state of living, daily routine, the people she knew, and other information.

Black eyes skimmed the text rapidly, mentally marking several pieces of information that needed a little more digging and those that required more attention before folding it and placing it inside a pocket. Clearly, the girl was a little more than what the informants had made her out to be. Not anyone could just sense his presence, even if he hadn't really been trying to hide it. But it wasn't anything too serious at the moment.

A small beep sounded, and the World's Greatest Hitman mentally noted the hour. It was time to begin training the Tenth Vongola Boss candidate, whether he liked it or not.

.

.

Sakura would not realize the irony of telling Tsuna to stay out of trouble for years to come. When she did, they would all share a laugh as they realized that it was right after her leaving that Tsuna had been informed that he was to become a Mafia Boss.

* * *

_This chapter is choppy and shorter than I'd like, but I decided to get something out. I apologize for the quality and will do my best to improve._

_The names for the Naruto-verse characters are names with meanings that I thought fit the characters in some manner. Saiyuri is 'lily', close to Sakura as they're both flowers and sound somewhat similar. Shin can mean 'advancing', 'new', or 'true', several which describe Shikamaru in some way. Akihiro means 'large glory'. If you have opinions or questions, feel free to PM or review._

_The next chapters for 'Once Again, With A Dying Will' and 'The Unseen Factor' are slow going, though I hope to get something out before my break ends. I may or may not post some one-shots, but I write when I can, so nothing is sure._

_I do have a Tumblr account though, and you can find me at summer-ice7. tumblr. com . I'll likely post updates, and potential story ideas there for those who are interested. _

_Thanks for reading, and I apologize once again._


	19. Please Read-AN for Rewrite

**Hey people, what's up?**

Unfortunately, this is NOT the update that you may have expected. Now I know it's been near four months since an update, but I have my reasons, pathetic as they may be. One is school, the other was real life, and the last was the development of my skills as a writer. Even so, I am sorry for that.

Simply put, when I was looking at Old Habits Die Hard, I realized that attempting to write it now would turn out nothing but crap. When I started, I didn't plan it out well, and churning out chapters as I did in short, 1000-2000 words each, didn't help either. My writing style has also changed and hopefully, matured somewhat since then, and trying to continue now would just result in my muse dying on me. Really though, with what I wrote back then, I pretty much dug myself into an ever deepening hole of doom. I mean, I don't know how I ever thought I would've been able to portray the darker side of the Mafia like that I'll never know.

But, this doesn't mean I'm abandoning the story itself. I'm going to try and get all my plans in order and rewrite everything, with the first chapter to the rewrite hopefully coming out soon. I make no promises though, since I do also have plans during the summer. The rewrite will follow the same general plotline, but with more depth and fleshed out more.

At the moment, I don't know if I will be changing the title or not, or even really anything other than the fact that I will be doing an overhaul of this story. I will likely post those details as another AN when I figure it out.

I'll take this AN and story down when I get that rewrite out since this is technically against site rules (my apologies), so just a heads up. If you feel like this is a letdown or whatever and won't be reading again, I understand fully. On a side note though; The Unseen Factor and Once More, With A Dying Will both will be continued with no issues other than planning, so there's that.

Thank you all for putting up with me and for both your support and your criticism; it's really helped me a lot.

Until then, I hope you all stay safe and have a great summer (or winter, or whatever depending on your hemisphere.)

7 out.


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